A Breath of Life
by Zephyr Fyrian
Summary: Calamity Ganon is gone. Hyrule has been saved. Zelda and Link are relaxing in Kakariko Village, and the world is on the mend. Unfortunately, things are not so good in the west. Something has caused Gerudo Chieftain Riju to flee her home, and someone is tampering with Zelda and Link's minds. Who is this mysterious person who calls himself Power? And is he truly a threat?
1. A King's Queen

**(A/N) What? Zephyr Fyrian isn't dead? *gasp***

 **Haha, sorry for dropping off of the face of the earth for a month or so. I still am planning on completing _The Essence of Life_ and the other stories I've begun, don't worry, but I was in a Zelda mood, and I've just recently started a new _Breath of the Wild_ game, so Zelda was my main focus.**

 **I am quite excited for this one, as this has been bouncing around in my head for several weeks, and I hope you like it.**

 **Some warnings or whatever you'd call these: This story will contain storyline and characters from _Breath of The Wild, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword,_ and some references to _Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, The Oracle of Seasons/Ages_ and _Wind Waker._**

 **This story will additionally contain the pairings of:**

 _ **Breath of the Wild**_

 **Link x Paya**

 **One-sided Zelda x Link**

 **Riju x OC**

 _ **Twilight Princess**_

 **Past Link x Midna**

 **Link x Ilia**

 **Zelda x Shad**

 **And that's all I wanted to mention before you read it. I know I don't like it when I read a story and get invested in it and then they pair some people together that I just don't like. Also, Zelda's pairing will remain a secret, because it's supposed to be a mystery, but if you want to guess, go ahead.**

 **Without further ado, happy reading!**

* * *

 _ **A Breath of Life**_

 _ **Chapter One: A King's Queen**_

Having just exited the pass between the Pillars of Levia and Bonooru's Stand, Link and I, Ex-Princess Zelda, emerged into the village of Kakariko. Link was leading, in case monsters attacked, but after Calamity Ganon's fall, there were significantly less of them out and about. Still, Link insisted.

He was eager to get to Kakariko, for what reason, I didn't know, but I was excited to see Impa again as well.

I was comfortable in the saddle of my horse, a pure white stallion that Link said was a direct descendant of my old horse, Storm. This horse's name was Rhoam, named for my father.

Thinking about Father made my heart ache. I missed him so much. Out of all the people of Hyrule, he was the one I most wanted to see my powers. I had finally awakened them, but he had already passed on.

Shaking my head and willing myself to be happy, I looked ahead into the bustling Kakariko Village. It had been forever since I had chased cuccos with my childhood friend, Hilda (my personal maid, she accompanied me everywhere), swam in the pond below Impa's house searching for Koroks, or even since I'd eaten a nice roasted carrot.

I rubbed Rhoam's neck gently and urged him forward, following Link on his horse, Epona.

"Is that Zelda?"

"The Princess is here?"

"Koko sees a _preeeetty_ girl!"

"Link and the Princess have returned!"

Cries and gleeful shouts followed us as we rode down the path to Impa's house. Link swiftly dismounted and held out his hand to help me down. I accepted graciously, giggling internally.

Once my feet hit the ground, Link let go of my hand, turning back to Epona. I felt a little disappointed at that, but Link probably still didn't have all of his memories, so it was a given that he wouldn't remember me as well as he should have. But, once he did, he was sure to remember his affection for me. After all, in all of the legends, the princess and the hero ended up together, right?

Oh, except for that one with the twilight spreading over Hyrule, the hero married a farm girl from a village not even in Hyrule.

Oh well, that wouldn't happen to me.

I pulled myself back to reality and followed Link up the wooden stairs to Impa's house. We walked inside and I was filled with a wonderful sense of nostalgia. I remembered Hilda and I sitting on these cushions, listening to Impa tell stories about ancient Hyrule.

I stopped my examination of the room when my eyes fell upon an old Sheikah woman sitting on a pile of cushions.

"Impa," Link said respectfully as he knelt before her.

"Oh, no need for that, boy." Impa chided, smiling kindly. "Stand up now. Oh, Zelda, is that you, my dear?"

I nodded and stepped forward to greet my old advisor.

"Impa," I said, smiling.

Impa held out her arms and I leaned down to embrace her, sorely missing the parental role Impa had played in my life. When I pulled back, there was another person standing in the room. It was a young Sheikah girl, with long, thick white hair and a Sheikah eye painted on her forehead. She stood at the entrance to the cabin, looking nervous.

"Is that-" she began, her eyes on me. "Are you Princess Zelda?"

"Ex-Princess," I corrected sadly. "The kingdom of Hyrule is no more."

 _Really? How unfortunate._

My pointed ears twitched at the strange voice.

"Did- did you hear that?" I asked slowly, turning around as if to look for whoever had spoken.

 _Don't bother, they can't hear me._

"Yes, I can." Link said softly, looking over at me worriedly.

 _Oh look, it's Courage and Wisdom. How…adorable._

"What do you mean by courage and wisdom?" I demanded, still trying to locate the source of the voice.

There was a ghostly laugh and then everything seemed to fade back into reality.

"W-what was t-that?" the Sheikah girl whispered, shuddering. "It g-got so c-cold all of a s-s-sudden."

Link walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders reassuringly.

"It's okay, Paya," he murmured, sliding his hands down to her shoulder blades and pulling her into his arms. "There's no need to be scared."

My heart tore at the love Link obviously held for this girl. He never treated _me_ this way before.

 _No, he didn't, did he?_

"Who are you?" I whispered, finding it strange that Link didn't seem to hear the voice this time.

 _My name is Power. Hello, my dear Princess Zelda._

Power? If I was Wisdom, and Link was Courage, based on our Triforce pieces, who was the third?

"Impa?" I asked suddenly, wondering if my old mentor would know anything about the original wielders of the Triforce pieces.

"Yes, my dear?" Impa looked up at me, concern in her gaze as she recognized my nervousness.

"I hold the Triforce of Wisdom, correct?" one of my hands fiddled anxiously with a lock of my gold hair.

"Yes, as the one chosen by the Goddess always does." Impa nodded sagely. "Just as Link holds Courage, you also hold Wisdom."

"What about Power?" I inquired, dropping my hand from my hair and letting it fall to my side. "Who holds Power?"

It seemed like a wave of cold wind washed over us, for not only did Paya shiver and curl closer into Link, Impa grew solemn and reserved. Even Link looked a little nervous.

"It was said to be held by the King of Evil," Impa said darkly. "The last Gerudo son; Ganondorf."

"Ganon?" I gasped.

 _Shocked? My, my, it seems you haven't been schooled in much at all, have you, little Hylian?_

"Don't talk to Zelda that way," Link growled at the unearthly voice.

 _Oh, this one has some spirit! Hm, more than that other silent hero. The one who nearly killed me 10,000 years or so ago._

"You're Ganondorf?" I whispered, fear creeping into my heart. Link and I had just defeated Calamity Ganon, and now that was _another one?_

 _More or less. To be completely honest with you, I'm not too fond of the name._

"Why not?" I asked, my arms folding in to hug myself.

There was only another ghostly laugh in reply and then the room faded back its earlier, warmer atmosphere.

"I d-don't like this," Paya mumbled, her voice slightly muffled since her fae was buried in Link's tunic.

"Shhh," Link gently stroked her hair, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Just calm down, Paya. You're perfectly safe."

Turning my head away from Link and Paya to ease the ache in my chest, I walked back to the door, opening it just in time to hear a loud clamor at the entrance.

"Out of the way!" yelled a distinctly feminine voice. "Sorry- oh, I didn't mean to- I'm sorry!"

Powerful hoofbeats thudded and two horses carrying riders galloped into the gathering square and skidded to a halt, rearing up on their hind legs and neighing loudly.

Link and Paya ran out to stand beside me, startled at the sudden interruption.

The two riders dismounted, giving me a better look at them.

Both were female, though one was considerably shorter and thinner, and they both had long, blood red hair and dark skin. Gerudo women.

"Riju?" Link called, stepping down the stairway a bit to greet the new arrivals.

"Link!" the smaller Gerudo, apparently named Riju, cried in relief. "See, Barta? I told you he'd be here."

"Hmph," Barta, the taller, more muscular one, snorted. "We are certainly lucky you have good instincts, milady."

Riju shot Barta a skeptical look, but didn't say anyting else on the subject. Instead, she turned to Link, who had reached the bottom of the stairs and was making his way over to the young woman.

"What brings you here, Riju?" Link asked, bowing to her slightly.

"It's a long story," Riju sighed. "Could we come inside to rest a bit? We've been on the road for days."

Days? The Gerudo Chieftain, at least I assumed, had been riding nonstop for _days?_ That didn't seem to add up right.

"Of course," Link nodded.

"Dorian," Paya said, rushing down the stairs to address the Sheikah warrior. "Could you take the horses out to the eastern field while we get Lady Riju and her guard settled?"

"Sure thing, Paya," Dorian patted the Sheikah girl on the shoulder affectionately and walked over to the horses to help Barta unsaddle them.

Link, Paya, and Riju all walked back up the steps to Impa's house, Link and Paya in the lead, hands clasped. Riju seemed to be disappointed at this, and I wondered how many women Link had captured the hearts of during his travels. When they reached me, Link gave me a small smile and gently tugged on Paya's hand as he opened the door.

"They do seem quite in tune with each other, don't they?" Riju commented as she fell into step beside me.

"Yes, I suppose so." I agreed, looking down.

"There was a time when I wouldn't have been jealous, but marriage has been on my mind a lot as of late." Riju said sadly, sighing.

"Why?" I asked, looking over at my slightly shorter companion as we entered Impa's house. I sat down on one of the cushions and motioned for her to do the same. "You don't seem to be the typical Gerudo marrying age, and besides, you are the Chieftain, you need to be with your people, not wandering abroad."

Riju sat down beside me and folded her hand in her lap, looking nervous.

"There were some…" Riju paused, as if searching for the right words. "Recent developments in Gerudo Town that caused Buliara to encourage me to marry."

"I see," I replied, though I really didn't. "Are you traveling abroad to find a suitable husband, then?"

"Hylia, no!" Riju looked horrified. "I'm not ready to get married!"

"Then why are you out here?" my brow furrowed, confused.

"I'm running away," Riju said quietly. "The Gerudo don't need me. Not anymore. Not with _him._ "

"'Him'?" I inquired, wondering if Power/Ganondorf/Whoever-He-Was had anything to do with what Riju had gone through.

Riju shook her head, looking back toward the door as Barta walked in and stood silently beside the entrance like a sentry.

Link, who had been sitting with Paya beside Impa's seat, stood up to address Riju and Barta.

"So," he said, his arms swinging freely at his side to relieve the tension that was clear in the room. "What happened? What are you doing so far from the desert?"

"We are running," Barta said in her heavily accented baritone. "Lady Riju came to me in the dead of night saying she had to escape. Even if she is no longer the Gerudo Chieftain in title, she will always be the Chieftain to me, so I agreed and that very night we snuck out of Gerudo Town and trekked across the desert until we passed the Champion's Gate near the South Lomei Labyrinth. From there we climbed to the East Gerudo Mesa and traveled across the Taobab Grassland to the Grinnden Plains and Lake Hylia."

Link nodded, then turned to Riju.

"What spurred you into leaving?"

"It's a long story," Riju sighed. "But the easiest way to say it is that the Gerudo have found a new, 'better', Chieftain. I was running because I was afraid of what the new Chieftain would do to me if I stayed. I came to you, Link, to ask if you would help me reclaim my position as Chieftain from this usuper."

"Of course," Link replied without hesitation. "It would be an honor to aid you, Lady Riju."

Riju flushed slightly at the formality, looking down at her hands.

"When would be a good time to leave for the desert?" Link asked.

 _As soon as possible._

"Well, I suppose-" Link stopped, freezing mid sentence. "…Zelda? Did you hear that too?"

"Hear what?" Riju looked between Link and I, worry etched onto her pretty face.

"Yes," I whispered.

The strange voice laughed, the sound giving me chills, though I wasn't sure if it only because I was afraid.

 _I would_ _love_ _to meet lovely little Princess Hylia here. I'm_ _ **very**_ _interested in getting to know her better._

The voice laughed again, before all faded back into normality. I shivered at the implications of Power's statement.

"What was that?" Barta demanded, her hand on her moonlight scimitar.

"A…an issue we're trying to sort out." Link said, scratching the back of his hand, bemused. "Zelda and I have been hearing this disembodied voice speaking to us, but no one else can hear it. We just can't seem to puzzle it out."

"It called us Wisdom and Courage," I said softly, taking a deep breath. "He says he is Power."

"That's why you asked about the Triforce," Link realized, sitting back down beside Paya. "Does that mean that…Ganondorf is the one speaking to us?"

"He…" I scowled, irritated with the lack of imformation Power had given me on his identity. "He said he was 'more or less' Ganondorf, and that he didn't like that name."

"What in Farore's name does _that_ mean?" Link muttered, running a hand through his hair. Paya gently rubbed his arm, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I'm not sure," I sighed, shaking my head. "But we musn't tarry on that; we have to help Riju reclaim her throne."

Riju smiled at me gratefully, relaxing for the first time since she'd gotten here.

"Thank you, Princess," Riju reached over and squeezed my hand. "Your help is much appreciated."

"Indeed," intoned Barta, dropping her hand from the hilt of her sword. "But we must rest before we set out for Gerudo Town. The Lady Riju and I have been unable to sleep for days because of the urgency of our flight."

"Barta is right," Riju agreed, and puncuated this with a yawn. "We do need to sleep. Perhaps tomorrow we can decide what to do, but now I am barely keeping myself awake."

* * *

After Riju and Barta left for the inn, and Link went out to do something with Cado(probably chasing his cuccos again), Paya and I settled into the loft of Impa's house, ready for sleep.

"So, Princess," Paya said as we finished our nightly routines and were each sitting on our beds opposite one another. "What do you think about this? Riju seems to be more than a little ruffled."

"I'm…not sure," I said truthfully, running my hands through my hair again. "I'm concerned by the takeover, but confused as to what that has to do with Riju and her marriage."

"Marriage?" Paya sat up.

"Apparently, something happened and Buliara wanted Riju to marry." I explained, still trying to make sense of it myself. "But why that would make Riju run, I do not know."

Paya's brow furrowed in though as she pondered my words.

"Perhaps," she began, biting her lip a little. "You said Ganondorf was the one speaking in your mind. He was born a Gerudo, so what if _he_ took over Gerudo Town? He _is_ the last and only male. In Gerudo tradition he would automatically be named King."

"That does make sense," I agreed, sliding off of my bed. "Do you have any records on Ganondorf from the old legends?"

"Plenty," Paya replied, hopping off her own bed and pulling out several scrolls and old parchments from underneath her mattress. "Why don't we take a look?"

Paya and I pored over the ancient texts, burying ourselves in the old myths and legends about the King of Evil. We studied far into the night, reading about the origin of Ganondorf's evil, the takeover of Hyrule, his banishment to another realm, and finally his defeat after the Twilight Occupation and the death of his pawn, Zant.

I felt a bit bad for this Zant, strangely enough, as it said Ganondorf's power manifesting itself inside of him drove the man insane. Even if he was inherently evil, no one deserved such a cruel fate.

However, the self-proclaimed King of Twilight was not the only pawn of Ganon's, there were many under the delusion of granduer that the King of Thieves conjured up, and far more met unspeakable fates at the hands of Ganondorf and his minons.

After we could not stay up any longer, Paya and I eventually crawled back into our beds and fell asleep. Paya drifted off faster than I did, but even the frightening image of a blood-thirsty demon king wasn't enough to keep me from submitting to the calm of sleep.

Or so I thought.

* * *

It was one of those dreams where nothing exists until you look at it. I didn't know where I was, and even looking around didn't help, because I couldn't focus on anything, and I was thoroughly confused as to why I was wearing gloves. I hated wearing gloves. They made me feel like a 'proper princess' like Father had always wanted me to be, and I wanted to be a scholar. Prettying myself up and wearing such frippery was not something I particularly liked about royalty.

The only reason I even noticed was because I was looking down from some reason, as if there was something in my hand. There wasn't anything, so I really had had no reason to look down, but I had nonetheless.

Suddenly, I felt a hand pull my chin up. My eyes were angled away, and I couldn't move them to see what or who was holding my jaw, but something felt off.

 _"You really should address your King as 'my lord' or, 'your highness'."_

Oh Hylia, it was _his_ voice. The voice of Power.

"You are no king of mine," I hissed out, though I didn't even remember thinking it.

Deep, slow laughter filled my ears and I felt the strange hand tighten on my jaw.

 _"Do not delude yourself into thinking you are still in control of Hyrule, little Hylian."_ there wasn't anger in his voice, only sadistic amusement. _"Although…"_

I didn't like the sound of that, but I couldn't move for some reason. I couldn't even look at him.

My brain went into overdrive when I felt cold breath on my ear.

 _"You_ _could_ _still rule Hyrule, Princess Zelda,"_ he whispered, almost thoughtfully.

"And how could I when you have taken my throne and terrorized my people?" I heard myself ask. Strange, how no thought went into responding. As if I were living a memory…

The deep, rumbling laughter resounded again.

 _"Every King needs his Queen,"_ he said softly, and if his lips had not been at my ear I would never have caught it.

"You disgust me," I snarled, ripping my chin away from him. I turned my head back around to look at the King but all I saw before I woke up was a pair of unblinking, golden eyes.

Watching me.

* * *

 **(A/N) Oooh, creepy! Haha, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter of _A Breath of Life._ If you feel so inclined, leave a review so I know what you thought. **

**See ya! :3**


	2. The Journey Begins

**(A/N) Hello! Here's the next installment of _A Breath of Life_! **

**Just some notes: This story will contain plot points and storyline not only from _Breath of the Wild_ , but also _Twilight Princess_ and perhaps some others. This is not a Zelda/Link, as I have put Link with Paya. The topic of Zelda's love interest is still up for debate, but I'm fairly sure I know who she'll be paired with. ;)**

 **This story will also contain characters from _Twilight Princess,_ as that is regarded as the past, so there are pairings for that time as well, mostly just Link/Ilia though, and it's barely mentioned. Princess Zelda of the Twilight Era's love interest is quite complicated, but it will be explained later in the story when the flashback chapters and journal entries start.**

 **Fun fact: This entire story is(chronologically) inspired by _Lifehouse_ 's album _Almeria._ I highly recommend you listen to that album when reading this. The progression in the story from the period of Twilight Era Zelda's journal entries and flashbacks and then to them disposing of Ganondorf's body, whenever that is, is based on the progression from the first song in _Almeria_ to the fifth.**

 **Alright. I figured I'd make those notes up there just for people who might've been thinking that Zelink was going to happen. I'm pretty sure I know who I'll be pairing Zelda with, but I want that to remain a mystery for a while. I also already have the pairing with Riju planned in my head, so be prepared!**

 **Okay, I'll shut up now and let you read the story.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 _ **A Breath of Life**_

 _ **Chapter Two: The Journey Begins**_

When I woke up, Paya was still sleeping. I narrowed my eyes at her form, still feeling a little lingering jealousy. I found that no matter how hard I tried however, I couldn't hate her. She was too much of a sweet person for me to have any resentment for.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes to rid the sleep from them, and began to get dressed. Thankful none of the clothes I had required a corset, unlike my ceremonial gown that I'd worn when Link was annointed a Champion, I pulled on my white undertunic and blue shirt, strapping on my boots over linen stockings and black trousers.

Paya stirred in her cot, mumbling something about 'waterfalls of gold' and 'sapphire eyes'. I wasn't sure I even wanted to know what she was dreaming about. Chances were that it was more pleasant than my strange dream.

Glaring at my knees, I thought about what my dream meant. Clearly, since I had had Power on my mind, his voice had been translated into my dream, but why then had nothing else made sense? Was it a vision? Couldn't be, Hyrule was dead, Power couldn't take it over, not even from me. And besides, where was Link in this scenario? Shouldn't he be _protecting me?_

Perhaps he was defending Paya from Power's takeover, after all, he seemed to really care for her. As much as I loved Link, I wouldn't get in the way of his relationship with Paya. It was possible that my love wasn't even real, at least, not anymore. After all, Link seemed slightly different than he used to be one hundred years ago, maybe my feelings for past Link didn't apply to present Link?

I shook my head, this was all too confusing.

"Princess?" came Paya's sleepy voice. "Is it time to get up now?"

I sighed and looked over at her. She was just beginning to sit up now, her white hair in disarray around her head.

"Yes, it is." I said, smiling. If Paya loved Link as much as I did, I could trust her. I could count on her to protect Link. And that was all I needed. "And it's just Zelda. There's no need to call me 'Princess'."

Paya flushed as she slid out of her cot and began to get dressed.

"Link used to tell me it was okay just to call him 'Link', but it still took me a while until I got used to it. I apologize if I slip up." she said softly.

"What did you call him if not Link?" I wondered aloud, standing up as Paya finished tying her hair up.

She mumbled something I could't hear and I had to ask her to repeat it.

"Master Link,"

Even _my_ face flushed. I could just imagine what Link felt like having this girl follow him around calling him 'Master'.

"Well, come on," I said, brushing imaginary lint off of my shirt. "Let's go downstairs and eat."

Paya perked up at the mention of food and followed me happily down the stairs. Impa was already awake, frankly I wasn't even sure that she slept, and was sitting on her tower of cushions like yesterday.

"Ah, girls," the old Sheikah woman smiled warmly at the two of us. "Good morning. Link and our Gerudo visitors have already eaten and are outside sparring with Dorian, if you'd like to watch them while you eat."

Paya had a slightly dreamy smile on her face as she nodded vigorously.

"Come on, Zelda," she grabbed my arm and tugged me out of the house, leaving a laughing Impa behind.

"Good Hylia, what was that for?" I asked, removing my arm from Paya's grasp as we began walking down the steps leading down into the center of Kakariko.

Paya giggled slightly and pointed to where I could see Link and Barta locked in combat, Dorian and Riju sitting on the grass a little ways away, watching the fight.

Then I noticed what Link was wearing. Or rather, what he _wasn't_ wearing.

Shirtless.

That boy was sparring _shirtless._

Idiot.

Paya was giggling beside me like a little girl, blushing madly. I rolled my eyes, though I can't say I didn't enjoy the view myself. Link wasn't particularly muscular, he was kind of scrawny actually, but he was stronger than he looked.

I walked over to where Riju and Dorian were and sat down myself, taking a seat beside Riju. She looked over and smiled.

"Good morning, Princess," she said, seeming more cheerful than yesterday. I supposed a good night's sleep could do wonders after so many days on the run.

"Good morning, Riju," I replied. "And it's just Zelda."

"Alright then, Zelda." Riju sighed and looked back at the sparring pair. Link was gaining ground and Barta was losing, seeing as she was more accustomed to fighting Yiga soldiers who were larger than Link and had a different fighting style. "Zelda, can I tell you something?"

"Of course," I nodded, noticing Paya was basically drooling out of the corner of my eye.

Riju gently pulled me up and we walked back to where the cliff dropped off behind the guardian statues and into the pool around Impa's house. She looked a little nervous, and her eyes darted around as if someone was going to jump out at her.

"The reason I left was because Buliara wanted me to marry him," Riju whispered. "The man who took over."

My breath stopped.

"Buliara thought it was a good way to keep the Chieftain bloodline as the ruler," she continued, looking more and more upset. "She figured that if I married him our child would be of both the Royal and Chieftain bloodlines."

"Riju," I gently placed my hand on her arm, giving her a rueful smile. "I am terribly sorry you had to go through that. I imagine it was hard, since Buliara is such a close friend."

Riju nodded miserably.

"And you know what the worst part is?" her voice broke slightly. "It's _him._ He's just so… _unatural._ The way he talks, it's like he's trying to worm his way inside you. His mannerisims too, I thought, as a Gerudo, he would be more…well, _Gerudo,_ but he's not. He's _creepy._ His eyes are the strangest color too, while ours are yellowy gold, his are more of a raw gold, with the slightest hint of orange. Whatever he is, he's _not_ a normal Gerudo. He's just _wrong_ somehow."

I frowned. Could this be Ganondorf?

"What did he call himself?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Nohansen," Riju answered, shuddering. "That's not a Gerudo name either, but he _has_ to be _some_ sort of Gerudo, because he has the Triforce mark on his right hand. So either he _is_ the King of Thieves, or he's his descendant."

"Nohansen?" That was the surname of the Princess Zelda of the Twilight Era. "That's a surname, did he have a given name?"

"Zarikan," Riju replied, hugging herself. "He called himself Zarikan Nohansen. He said he knew a Princess Zelda once."

Of course he had, Ganondorf and Princess Zelda were the only two to stay corporeal in the Twilight when it had covered Hyrule. Aside from the Hero of Twilight, of course, but he wasn't there.

"Zarikan Nohansen," I mused. "What reason would he have for taking a new name?"

 _I said I wasn't fond of the name 'Ganondorf', didn't I, my lovely Zelda?_

"Get out of my head," I growled.

 _Oh, and why would I do that? Your head is_ _such_ _a fun place to be in, my Zelda._

"I am _not_ 'your Zelda'," I hissed inaudibly.

 _Have you not remembered yet? How... disappointing. Perhaps you will sometime._

"Remembered what?" I demanded, but Power, or Nohansen, had already disappeared with a ghostly chuckle.

"Zelda?" Riju patted my arm worriedly. "You started spacing out, are you okay?"

"He's in my head again," I said, shaking my head to clear it. "Power, Ganondorf, Zarikan Nohansen, whatever his name is. He's been messing with my head."

"He's been messing with all of us," Riju agreed as we began to walk back to where the other four were gathered.

I sat down and Paya handed me a plate of roasted swift carrots. My stomach rumbled in anticipation and I eagerly devoured the plate of vegetables. Link, Barta, and Dorian were all conversing about different types of combat and Riju had just sat down beside me.

"Enjoying that, are we?" she laughed, playfully nudging me with her elbow.

"I haven't had roasted carrots in years!" I exclaimed after swallowing a mouthful. "Well, I haven't exactly _eaten_ in years, so I guess that isn't much of a perspective."

Riju and Paya both laughed, and I smiled, happy to know that even after just defeating Ganon, I was able to make friends.

"I had some earlier," Riju said, leaning back on her hands to bask in the warm sunlight. I supposed she wasn't used to the cooler temperatures of Kakariko and other non-desert areas. "They were delicious. We don't get many vegetables aside from zapshrooms and sunshrooms in the desert."

"What kind of food is typical in a Gerudo's diet?" I asked, finishing my plate and setting in down on the grass before me. "I know you have hydromelons and voltfruit, but what kind of dishes to you usually cook with them?"

"Well," Riju tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I know that salt-grilled zapshrooms are one of the main foods that our warriors eat, since there are an abundance of Electric Lizalfos and Keese that live near us, and zapshrooms provide shock resistance. My personal favorite is sauteed sunshroom skewers. She might seem very tough on the outside, but Buliara loves cooking, and she always makes me those skewers on my birthday. At least, she used to."

Riju looked down sadly. I placed my hand on her arm and smiled softly.

"Don't worry, Riju," I said. "We'll make Buliara see sense. And who knows? Perhaps by the time we get to Gerudo Town, you'll have met a man you'll want to court."

Riju snorted, but smiled despite her doubt.

"Thank you, Zelda," she placed her other hand over mine. "You're very kind."

"You're most welcome, Riju." I replied honestly. "Now, let's go make sure they haven't killed each other yet."

"Zelda," Paya admonished. "They're trained warriors, they know how to spar and not hurt each other."

"We'll see about that," I muttered, standing up and walking to where Link, Barta, and Dorian were still locked in an intense discussion about weapons.

"I prefer broadswords and those Lizalfos boomerangs myself," Link was saying. "Too much heavier than that and I can't swing them in time to hit anything."

"Have you tried our scimitars?" Barta asked, drawing her own. "They're quite lightweight, as moving through the desert swiftly is a must since you sink very easily. I'm sure you would find the craftsmanship of these blades quite balanced for someone of your stature."

Link nodded and watched Barta swing her scimitar a few times before sheathing it.

"I've used-" Dorian began, before noticing me. "Ah, Princess. We were just discussing weapons. Are you two ready to leave?"

My eyebrows shot up.

"Now?" I asked, startled. I hadn't expected us to leave until midday at least.

"Once you get prepared of course," Link responded. "It'll take us three days to reach Gerudo Town, not counting any time spent at the stables we pass."

"Oh, I'll get right to packing then." I turned around and headed back into Impa's house.

If it took us three days to reach Gerudo Town, that would give me plenty of time to pick apart what happened in my dream. Hopefully, it was a one time thing and I wouldn't be having anymore of these strange, uncomfortable visions. Or whatever they were.

"Where are you going, dear?" Impa asked as I walked past her.

"I have to pack to prepare for the journey," I replied, already halfway up the stairs.

I headed into the room and began to replace my things in my bag. Luckily, I hadn't unpacked too much since last night, so it wasn't a lot of work. As I was folding a few spare tunics, Paya walked in. She walked purposefully over to her closet and pulled out a tradition Sheikah satchel with she began to put clothes into.

Huh. I hadn't known Paya was coming with us.

"You're going too?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. Father had always told me that 'curiosity killed the cat' and that such behavior would get me in trouble, but I doubted that asking about this would be dangerous.

"They can't stop me," Paya answered with a surprising amount of determination.

"So…you didn't tell them you were coming?" I prodded.

"No- no." Paya flushed and looked down, furiously shoving things into the satchel. "But I've just seen Link since he set off for Divine Beast Vah Naboris, I'm not letting him out of my sight again."

Oh yes. This girl was perfect for Link. Mostly because she acted a lot like me. And I liked that.

"Well, I'm on your side, come what may." I said firmly, holding out my hand to her. "Let's go convince those boys."

Paya grinned and me and we both walked down the stairs.

"Paya?" Impa's voice sounded suspicious. "Is that your satchel I see you with? You aren't planning on accompanying the group, are you?"

Darn. I'd forgotten about Impa.

"Yes, Grandmother, I am." Paya turned back to Impa and stood tall. "I refuse to let Link leave me again."

Impa was silent. Paya and I stood in anticipation, waiting for the final verdict.

"Well, then." a smile broke out across Impa's face. "I suppose there is no stopping you. Come and give Grandmother a hug before you go."

Paya let out a teary laugh of relief and dashed over to Impa, throwing her arms around the old Sheikah woman.

"Now," said Impa as Paya pulled away. "Keep that boy in line, will you? He'll need it."

Paya and I laughed before we exited the house and walked back down the steps to meet up with the others. Riju and Barta had already strapped saddle bags onto their horses and had mounted, and Dorian and Link were leading three other horses over to the Gerudo women.

"I guess you'll ride with someone," I said to Paya as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes, I suppose I will have to," she agreed.

"Ah, Princess," Dorian walked over and addressed me. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes," I nodded, then gestured to Paya. "Where is Paya going to ride? I notice there are only five horses?"

Dorian stared blankly for a moment.

"Er, I hadn't realized Paya would be joining us," he laughed nervously. "I suppose she will have to ride along with someone else."

"Paya can ride with me on Epona," Link offered, smiling and holding his hand out for Paya to take. There was still a slight throb in my chest at seeing the blatant affection Link and Paya shared, but now I wasn't sure if it was because I loved Link, or I just wanted to _be_ loved.

I shook my head to clear it and took my horse Rhoam's reins form Dorian, who had held them out to me. I fixed my bags to his saddle and swung myself up into it, patting his neck to calm him. Dorian mounted up beside me, steering his black horse over to where Link was helping Paya into the saddle of Epona. I watched Link swing himself up to sit behind Paya, his arms to either side of her to help her stay on. They were really something.

"Are you alright, Zelda?" Riju asked, her mare trotting over. She had a concerned look on her face.

"I'm fine," I replied, though even I was unsure that that was true.

* * *

Link had been right; it did take us nearly half a day before we reached the Dueling Peaks Stable. When we got there, the sun was high in the sky and setting lower towards the tall peaks of the twin mountains, and several of the people staying at the stable had already begun to settle in.

Link and Dorian went to haggle with Beedle for arrows while Riju, Barta, Paya and I all brought the horses over to the pond for a drink.

Riju pulled her horse over to stand my mine, rubbing the mare's neck gently.

"What's her name?" I asked, taking the extra time we had to put a few braids into Rhoam's mane.

"Parujia," Riju replied, and I sensed a bit of sadness in her tone. "It was my mother's name."

Instantly I felt a wave of empathy wash over me.

"Link said your mother passed on," I murmured, trying not to upset the Gerudo. "I understand how it must feel; to rule and not know whether or not she's proud."

Riju turned back to me, a look of wonder on her face.

"I never thought anyone would understand," she said sadly, smiling at me. "But I suppose you would. What's this little one's name?"

Riju nodded to Rhoam, the change in tone a plea to change the subject. I obliged.

"Rhoam," I replied, finishing up the braid I had been working on. "Link named him after my father."

"Is he pure white?" Riju asked. "I've never seen a pure white horse. Although, I haven't seen much of the world."

I smiled.

"He is," I rubbed Rhoam's neck affectionately. "Link thinks he's a descendent of Storm, my old horse one hundred years ago."

"It must be difficult, living so far longer than you should have," Riju sighed, and then glanced over at the shrine beyond the pool. "But I suppose it had to happen. If Link hadn't undergone all these trials he wouldn't be as strong as he is now."

"No, you're absolutely right," I agreed solemnly, looking over at the shrine that was still glowing blue. "If Link hadn't nearly died all those years ago we might not have defeated the Calamity."

 _What's all this talk about one hundred years? You're Hylian, how in the name of my ancestors did you stay alive that long?_

 _"Link stayed alive in the Shrine of Resurrection,"_ I answered in my head, knowing that Zarikan wouldn't leave me alone until I answered him. _"I was alive by the power of the Goddess, using all my strength to keep Calamity Ganon in check."_

 _Hmm. From what I've gleaned,_ _I've_ _been asleep for one hundred_ _ **thousand**_ _years._

 _"How?"_

 _Same way. I died, they brought me to a shrine, I slowly regained my strength._

 _"Why did they save you?"_ I demanded. Zarikan laughed and I blinked, looking around as I drew myself back to reality.

"Was Nohansen poking around where he shouldn't again?" Riju asked, her gold eyes narrowed.

"Unfortunately, you're exactly spot on." I replied, rubbing my head.

"Well, come on," Riju said, taking my hand gently. "Link and Dorian are back from whatever it was they were doing. Let's get ready to head out again."

I nodded and pulled Rhoam away from the water and back towards the stable, where Link and Dorian were once again mounting up. I looked over my shoulder, back at the Pillars of Levia. I was leaving Kakariko again to face uncertain fate at the hands of a new form of Ganon.

It seemed the end of one disaster was only the beginning of another.

The rest of the day was uneventful. We passed through the Dueling Peaks at a little after noon, and we followed the Squabble River past the Hills of Baumer until finally, after dusk, we arrived at the Bosh Kala Shrine, where Link announced we would stop and set up camp.

I was thankful for the interlude. I needed to rest and take my mind off of dangerous topics, such as my dream and Zarikan's unsettling words about his one hundred thousand year long sleep.

Unfortunately for me, sleep would not come without consequence.

* * *

I stared blankly ahead, ignoring the person who was talking feverishly beside me. I wanted him to walk away. To leave me alone. I wanted peace.

"My Lady," he was saying. "You simply must hear about this. The timeshift stones in the S-"

"Hush," I waved my hand imperially. "Leave me."

"M-my Lady?" the man stuttered. I looked over to see a tall Hylian with russet brown hair and large round glasses which seemed to continually slide down his nose. "I am afraid I must have misheard you, but-"

"The world does not revolve around you, Shad," I snapped. "Do not expect me to bend to your every whim."

"B-but, I d-did n-not"

"Zelda," a voice said sternly. "You must stop this."

I looked over to see Link. Only…he was wearing green. Not his blue Champion's tunic, but a green one, along with a strange green cap. The Master Sword was fastened on his back, along with what I assumed was the Hylian Shield. Why was he telling me to stop?

"I do not believe I understand you, Hero." I said softly, avoiding his gaze.

"Ever since you took the throne you have been acting this way," Link sighed, placing a hand on his forehead. "It is tiresome, Princess."

"I would not think that my mental state is any of your concern, Hero of Twilight." I said coldly. "My problems are my own. Do not seek answers I cannot give."

"But you _can_ give them," Link pressed. "That is the problem. Shad told me-"

Shad, the russet haired man to my other side, shrunk back into himself at the mention of his name. Link shot him a tired look, but continued on with his statement.

"-Shad told me he tried to comfort you in the Library the other day," Link caught the grimace I was trying to conceal. "And do not try to deny you needed it. Even royals need help sometimes. Do not be afraid to ask that of us. We would do anything for you to return as you were."

"And how was I?" I let my gaze slide back to Link, anger burning in my irises. "Happy? Content? I was none of those things. My kingdom- my Hyrule -was covered in a thick blanket of Twilight. I did what I had to to keep my people safe…" at this point I had begun to mutter frantically, as if trying to justify my actions not only to Link and Shad, but to myself as well. "I did what I had to! I _saved_ my people from torture! _They would have died if I hadn't agreed to that foul demand! DIED!"_

Something flashed in my mind, memories of sort. Cold, so so cold, and then warmth, safe, but not safe at the same time, fear for my people, separation from my experience, surprise, someone had done something I hadn't expected, a jolt of pain in my abdomen, what was that? And gold. Bright gold.

Gold eyes.

* * *

 **(A/N) Ooh, more of this 'gold eyed' person. Who _ever_ could that be? Hehe, I'm so funny.**

 **Ah, well, terrible jokes aside, did you enjoy this chapter? I hope so. If you feel like it, leave a review so I know what your thoughts were!**

 **:3**


	3. Of The Old Mirror And The New Gate

**(A/N) I was planning on uploading this on Thursday, but I'm too impatient, even for my own story, so here it is! I'm really hoping the identity of Zarikan Nohansen is still a mystery, so if you have a guess, please tell me!**

 **Chapter four has already been completed as well, and I'm working on chapter five. I'm not sure how many chapters there'll end up being, but probably somewhere around fifteen. At least, that's what I'm shooting for. Wish me luck ;P**

 **There _is_ an OC(original character) in this, but he's necessary for the story. Plus him and Dorian's interactions are hilarious.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 ** _A Breath of Life_**

 ** _Chapter Three: Of The Old Mirror And The New Gate_**

 _Journal Entry: Number 782_

 _I will not tell them. I cannot. These mistakes are mine, and mine alone. I could not bear it if Link only saw me as some foolish princess, in love with the idea of love._

 _I do not expect a great romance for myself, not after what has happened to me. I have grown closer to the scholar, Shad, and I care for him a great deal. I do not know if this amounts to a romantic or platonic love, but it is not the love I hold for_ _him_ _._ _He_ _will forever be tied to my soul; the soul of the Goddess Hylia. Forever my descendants shall live in incompletion, never finding that one true person until_ _he_ _returns, which I doubt he ever will._

 _I expect I shall marry some noble from Labrynna, or perhaps even Termina, our sister country, but I do not expect he will love me as a wife should be loved. Cherished. After all, no one wants used goods. And no man wants a widow._

 _Is that what I am called now? Even if we did not share any love in his lifetime? I suppose that is not true, however. As our souls are intwined. Is it always that way? Is that how marriage is established? A soul bond, tying two creatures, male and female, to each other for eternity._

 _I suppose with any other person it would only be themselves, but as I am Hylia incarnate, my soul will carry on into my daughter, to whom I will pass on the knowledge of the Triforce to._

 _The called him a soulless being, an evil shadow, but is that true? If he truly was soulless, how can my soul be tied to his? Perhaps I will never know. Perhaps it is better that way._

 _I cannot blame anyone but myself, really. It was my fault I am pining for an evil man. A dead one too._

 _I want to love Shad. I really do. He is a sweet man, someone after my own heart. He loves books and spends hours in Hyrule Castle's Library, he is entranced with the City in the Sky, the place the Oocca are from, and he even invited me to come with him on his next expedition._

 _I was rude. I snapped at him when I shouldn't have. It is just that when Shad brushed his hand with mine, in an attempt to comfort me, I was reminded of the small, however odd, touches that came from_ _him_ _. It is unfair to Shad, I know that now. I should try to love him as best I can, even if my heart and soul belong to a man who would sooner kill me if I didn't have a piece of the Triforce than love me._

 _A friend once told me that she had a love once, someone that she had loved so deeply, but kept it hidden, and when the time came, he did not choose her. I suppose then that I should take ahold of this chance with Shad before I lose him forever._

 _I do, truly, have deep feelings for the scholar, and I wish I could love him like I love_ _him_ _. Sadly, however, I cannot. And thus, the cycle of unrequited love continues._

 _I am sorry, Shad, you deserve someone who can love you as fiercely and deeply as I love_ _him_ _. Someone healthy for you though, maybe that warrior girl, Ashei? She seems like a good match._

 _May the Goddess smile upon you, whomever you may be, and may the light illuminate your path._

 _-Zelda Nohansen, a Princess who dreamt herself a Queen._

* * *

I yawned, rolling over and sitting up. It was barely sunrise, but already Link and Barta were up, the former beginning to cook something and the latter going through several fighting stances. Paya was still asleep, and Riju was beginning to stir. Dorian seemed to be missing, but upon further inspection, he was tending to the five horses.

I stood, brushing off my outershirt and walking to where Link was.

"Goodmorning," I said cheerily, having had a restful night. The moment I had fallen asleep I'd had another strange dream, but it didn't last long and I'd slept peacfully most of the night.

"'Morning, Zelda," Link smiled at my demeanor and turned back to the food.

"What're you making here?" I asked, sniffing the dish. Link chuckled.

"Salt-grilled staminoka bass with some sauteed stamella shrooms." he replied, gently prodding the fish in the pot with a cooking ladle.

"Sounds delicious," I said, sitting down by the fire and crossing my legs.

Riju had begun to wake up just as I sat down, and Barta was walking back over from her early morning combat drills.

"Sav'otta," she nodded to me respectfully.

"Sav'otta," I replied, remembering that 'sav'otta' meant 'good morning' in Gerudo.

"Good morning, Princess," greeted Dorian as he returned from the horses. "Sleep well?"

"Very well, thank you." I inclined my head politely to the Sheikah warrior. "How are the horses doing?"

"Oh, they're fine," Dorian answered, sitting down beside me. "Tael was a bit skittish this morning, but I think that was because of a flock of keese that were hanging around. Luckily, Link sent them on their way with a couple of well-aimed arrows."

Link flushed slightly at the praise and kept his head down.

"I barely hit them," he mumbled.

"Nonsense!" laughed Dorian, clapping Link on the back. "You are a master bowman, Master Link."

Link mumbled something else that sounded like: 'I forgot the papaya'. Whatever that meant.

"Sav'otta everyone," said Riju sleepily as she finally sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "What's that smell? Is it food?"

"Fish," Link answered, looking up. "That's alright with you, correct?"

"Of course," Riju said blinking her eyes to rid them of the residual tiredness. "I'm hungry enough to eat a bokoblin."

"Careful what you wish for," muttered Dorian. "One might just stumble into camp."

"Relax," said Link calmly. "Bokoblins and moblins haven't been seen as frequently anymore, not since Ganon fell."

"And we have you and the Princess to thank for that," said Barta, setting down the waterskin she'd been drinking from. "Sarqso."

Link flushed again and turned his attention back to the food. Paya was now awake and had crawled over from her bedroll to sit beside Link, her head resting on his shoulder.

I pondered my newest dream; did that have anything to do with Zarikan Nohansen just like the other had his voice? And why had Link been wearing a green tunic instead of a blue one? It didn't seem right.

Unless…

Had that not been Link, but a past hero? The legends had said that the Hero of Time had donned a green tunic when he travelled back and forth through time to save Hyrule. And hadn't I called that Link in my dream the Hero of Twilight? So that must've been the Hero from the Twilight Era.

But why was I getting these dreams? Was Link having them too? I'd have to ask, maybe the next time we stopped. It was worrying enough that a strange Gerudo male had taken over Gerudo Town, but now I was getting visions of the past? It _was_ a past life of mine, I was sure. I had been called 'Princess Zelda' there too, just as I was here. Only difference was that I was Zelda Bosphoramus and she was Zelda Nohansen. Or so I assumed, given Link's title of 'Hero of Twilight'.

I shook my head to clear it; all of this dream nonsense was killing my brain. Perhaps I'd borrow back my Sheikah Slate and mess around with that to calm my nerves later. For now, I'd settle for eating fish and mushrooms.

"Hey!"

All six of us looked up.

A Hylian man with black hair, clad in a dark red tunic and brown trousers was walking over, smiling as he did so.

"Sav'otta," he greeted, bowing to us. "I noticed you- Master Link! And- Princess Zelda and Lady Riju!"

The man immediately fell down on one knee in a traditional Hyrulian bow.

"Forgive me, Highnesses, I did not recognize you." he apologized.

"You can stand now," I called over, standing up myself. "It's quite alright that you didn't recognize us. It _has_ been one hundred years since I was able to freely walk around Hyrule. As you know, I am Zelda, but, it's just Zelda. Hyrule had fallen and before it is rebuilt I do not feel comfortable calling myself its Princess."

"Understood, Pri- Zelda. My apologies," he smiled in embarrassment.

"This is Paya," Link gestured to the white-haired Sheikah girl, who was clutching his arm. "And this is Dorian. They are both Sheikah from Kakariko."

There was a flash of something in the Hylian man's eyes, but he didn't say anything.

"I am Barta," the Gerudo warrior announced stoically. "Personal aide-de-camp to Lady Riju."

The Hylian man bowed his head politely.

"I am called Xan," he said, standing tall. "Are you on your way to Gerudo Town?"

"How did you know?" Barta demanded, her hand going to her scimitar.

"Please, I mean you no harm!" Xan cried, stepping back and holding his hands out in surrender. "I merely asked because that is where I am headed as well, and I would like to know if it would be possible for me to travel with you?"

I looked to Link. He shrugged.

"I have no problem with it," Link turned to Dorian. "Dorian? Your thoughts?"

"You seem trustworthy enough," Dorian gave Xan a shrewd look. "But I'm not going to believe you aren't a member of the Yiga Clan until you prove it."

Xan nodded dully.

"I accept you, but I also agree with Dorian," I said, looking to Paya. She nodded, still holding onto Link's arm.

"We'll have to see," Riju frowned at the man, crossing her arms. "I don't have a problem with you joining us, but we'll have to keep someone watching you at all times."

"I understand," Xan bowed his head in respect. "I swear on the old mirror and the new gate, I will never betray you."

Dorian frowned, but aquiesced all the same, sitting back down, though he was still a little tense. Barta nodded grimly and returned to her seat beside Riju.

Xan sat down opposite Link, slightly farther away than the rest of us sat. I supposed he was trying to ease the tension of him being there. I don't think it worked, but I appreciated the gesture.

* * *

After we ate, we started off again. Xan said that he could walk, since he didn't want to inconvenience anyone, but Dorian refused to let him out of his sight and insisted that Xan ride with him.

Throughout our ride, Xan would say things that made me wonder if it was some kind of code, since only Dorian seemed to understand and respond in kind.

"The sun is high, a nuisance for those with true blood." Xan said.

"Indeed, like father like son." Dorian answered cryptically.

"Not so," Xan countered. "For the father is dark but the son remains in the light, though he may be only hidden in the day."

"By the old mirror and the new gate, has the son truly left those paths of the old twilight?" Dorian mused.

"From the blade of evil to the living eye, the son whose blood runs true has come far from the father's teachings." Xan replied.

"Have the blades of duality crafted by the first father in the dying embers of dusk been recieved by him whose blood runs true?" Dorian asked.

"So they have, and should the true-blooded son call upon the force of the first father, the blades that answer to the King shall descend from the past, and the son whose blood runs true will wield them." Xan answered calmly. "Forged by the hands of the first father, the force by which they were made answers to the son whose blood runs true."

"Okay, what in Farore's name are you two talking about?" Link demanded.

"I'm testing him to see if he's trustworthy," Dorian said as if it were obvious. "Xan, does the King who rules what is not his endure, or are the ones whose blood runs true the few left of the first father's line?"

"The King who rules what is not his passes through ages, a old magic in his breast." Xan responded. "The father of the son whose blood runs true has fallen, the inheritance of his forefathers the final blow to end the flame of his life. Struck down by a hero clad in the color of the Goddesses, the father of the son whose blood runs true was faithful to his word and promise to the first father. Though he did not fufill it, the sons and daughters of the living eye continue his dark plans and intent to raze the warriors of the sun, once the King who rules what is not his returns from his ancient housing deep beneath the ground to command the armies of dusk."

"Interesting," Dorian mumured. "Yes, I believe that Xan is trustworthy."

"You got that out of _that?"_ Link shook his head. "Sometimes I really don't understand you, Dorian."

"You don't have to understand it," Dorian shrugged. "You just have to trust me."

"I do trust you," Link assured, though he still looked confused. I could understand him there. I didn't get a word of what Xan and Dorian were rambling about.

* * *

We didn't reach Outskirt Stable until late in the afternoon, and by that time we were all hungry, so Link deigned to once again fix something for us to eat, and this time he made a little more since we now had Xan with us. Xan had assured Link that he didn't need food, and that he would be fine if Link didn't make anything, but Link insisted.

Xan didn't eat much, and the subject of his food seemed to spur Dorian to once again converse with the Hylian man in their strange poetic manner.

"Does the son whose blood runs true still continue the old ways of filling his stomach?" Dorian asked.

"The ways of the living eye continue into the son, and lo, he acknowledges such other ways of the people descended from the sky. For he is not so close-minded as the father of the son whose blood runs true, who fell into such dark paths as the first father." Xan answered, seemingly pleased with his food(simmered mighty bananas).

"Does the son whose blood is of the truest line recall the ancient blade of evil?" Dorian enquired.

"Indeed, ye son of the living eye knows of the great blade whose hilt split the soul of the first father, forever cursing him to live without mercy or prudence. The first father and the mother whose blood is blessed are forever linked by a single chain, that which carries down through those whose blood runs true." Xan nodded sagely, though his eyes revealed that he found this way of speaking highly amusing. Dorian seemed to have the same amused glint in his eye, and continued on with the conversation.

"What of the daughters of light?" he concealed a snort of laughter in his bowl of simmered bananas. "Have they not the soul of the mother whose blood is blessed?"

"Yea, but they are daughters of the second father, that one of sky-blood." Xan said, finally succumbing to to his amusment and laughing hysterically into his bananas. "I do believe I just realized how ridiculous this must sound."

"I remember practicing mine while I was out guarding Impa's house," Dorian chortled. "Cado never looked at me the same."

"I don't think _I'll_ ever look at you the same," Link muttered, packing up the food. Dorian laughed and Xan grinned, wiping some of his black hair out of his eyes.

* * *

We reached the area around the Dah Kaso Shrine as the sun was setting, as decided to camp there for the night. Dorian offered to stay up and keep watch with Xan, which Link agreed to before promptly flopping down onto his bedroll and falling asleep immediately.

I stayed awake for a while, listening to Dorian and Xan talk in their strange code.

"The daughter whose soul intwines with the King who rules what is not his, she is here." Xan said softly, looking out at the moon. "The son whose blood runs true has fear that the blessed blood of the mother's daughter might snuff out the fire of his spirit and leave him in endless agony, stilled by the sun's piercing rays."

"The son whose blood runs true has no need to fear that daughter of the blessed bloodline. For she is a compassionate and gentle creature, one whose spirit shall soothe that of the King who rules what is not his." Dorian responded quietly.

"By the old mirror and the new gate, brother of the son whose blood runs true, does thou believe the spirit of the first father endured?" Xan asked.

"The brother of the son whose blood runs true shall swear on the blades of duality forged by the first father's hand, and by the old mirror and the new gate, that the King who rules what is not his has endured through the ages he has spent beneath the passage to the homeland." Dorian answered solemnly.

I rolled over and closed my eyes, tuning out the rest of their conversation. I anticipated another strange dream, and this time…

I welcomed it.

* * *

I stood, perfectly still, waiting. My window was closed and the curtain was drawn, casting the room in dark shadow. I vaguely heard my door open, and the sound of it closing.

 _"I see you are awake, my Queen."_ the familiar rasp of his voice brought me back to awareness.

"I am," I said quietly, not turning. I could feel his tall presence behind me, his much larger form having to stoop ever so slightly in the space of my small tower cell.

 _"Have you considered my…offer?"_ his hands fell upon my shoulders, resting lightly.

"I…I have," I murmured. "I agree, but only if you promise not to hurt my people."

I had seen what he had done. Purposely told his minion to torture the people so I would agree to his foul demand. But it mattered not. If my people suffered, so should I.

And so I agreed to his demand.

 _"I will not touch them,"_ he promised in a whispered voice. His hands turned me to face him, though from my height all I did was stare into his chest. _"Look at me, my Queen."_

I steeled myself and looked up into his gold eyes, burning mine. He hissed something I didn't understand and suddenly I felt something cold envelop my neck. I lifted my hand and brushed my fingers over the carved surface of the strange stone collar that now rested against my throat.

"What is this?" I asked softly.

 _"One half of the soul bond,"_ came his gravelly reply. _"You must in turn bind youself to me."_

"How?" I had never heard of a soul bond, not in marriage. Thinking that word- marriage -made me involuntarily shudder. I was actually _marrying_ this man.

 _"It's for Hyrule!"_ I said to myself inside my head. _"You must do all you can to protect your people!"_

I silently agreed.

 _"What do you Hylians use to symbolize such a bond?"_ his rasping voice brought me out of my head and back to the cell.

"Bond?" I blinked for a second, before realizing what he meant. "Oh, a ring."

 _"Strange,"_ he murmured somewhere above me. _"But I don't know much about Hylian customs, so I suppose a lot of what you are used to is strange to me."_

I nodded absently before sadly pulling the Hyrulian royal family's ring off of my right hand. It was a light bronze, embossed with the the symbol of the Triforce. I heard a slight intake of breath from him when I pulled his hand into mine, closing my eyes and slipping the ring onto his finger.

 _"Interesting,"_ he muttered, lifting his hand to inspect the ring that now encircled his third finger. _"Now, come closer, my Zelda."_

I grit my teeth to stop myself from lashing out at being called 'his Zelda'. I stepped as close as I dared, the toes of my boots inches away from his. His hand, the one that now had my ring on it, pulled my chin up and I looked into his eyes. They still frightened me, that bright gold, but I forced myself to look into them anyway. He did not blink. Nor have I ever seen him blink.

I listened intently as he began to hiss words in a language I didn't know and as every syllable exited his lips, his face drew closer to mine, his other hand coming up to brace my head. I froze, knowing full well what he intended to do.

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the rush of magic that was sent through my veins as whatever spell he had cast solidified when his mouth brushed against mine.

 _"It's for Hyrule,"_ I repeated over and over in my head. _"It's for Hyrule, it's for Hyrule, it's for Hyrule…"_

* * *

 **(A/N) O.o Was that weird or what? Even _I_ get a little uncomfortable reading that. XD. Zarikan is certainly a weird person, isn't he? But just _who_ is he? Hehe...it's a secret.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and leave a review so I know what you thought. Thanks! :3**


	4. The Eye of The Yiga

**(A/N) Hello there! I've decided I want to get new chapters up every two to three days, so expect the next chapter to be posted either on Saturday or Sunday.**

 **This story has my full focus for the moment, and also with my Wonder Queen Mother reading these I have a lot of incentive to finish it. ;)**

 **As for getting chapters up in time, I always have the next chapter complete when I post the one before it, like right now, chapter five is already done and waiting to be posted. That way it's easier for me to stay ahead.**

 **Additional notes: I'm going to put up a note on the first chapter about all the pairings(at least the ones that aren't a secret hehe) and games that are referenced, as well as how many OCs are in this and such.**

 **And yes, I did change Riju's eye color to gold, but that's the color I associate with the Gerudo, so I'm sticking with it. (In game she has green eyes)**

 **Shutting up now.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 ** _A Breath of Life_**

 ** _Chapter Four: The Eye of The Yiga_**

 _Journal Entry: Number 735_

 _I waited. It was nighttime, and the moon was blotted out by clouds, sending Castle Town and Hyrule Castle into shadow. But not the shadow of Twilight, oh no. This was natural; a beautiful, silvery display of the sun's refracted light._

 _Once upon a time I would have welcomed it._

 _But now, with the light press of a stone collar around my neck, I was reminded of the foolish decision I had made. Of course, it was made because I feared for my people's safety, but nonetheless, now I was stuck._

 _Stuck between light and dark._

 _In proverbial twilight, it now seems._

 _The return of the light meant one thing. Link had restored Lanayru's life force, the tears of light. It was an uplifting, happy, free sort of occasion._

 _At least it should have been._

 _But now, it brought a sense of forboding. Soon, the Hero would become powerful enough to save the land, but also destroy something I was soul-tied to._

 _Him._

 _I heard the door open behind me and a strangled sob erupted from my throat. I collapsed down on my knees, shaking. He approached me slowly, kneeling beside me and placing his hands on my shoulders._

 _No words needed to be exchanged. We knew what the light meant._

 _He was going to die soon, now that Link was close to achieving the sacred power. I wasn't sure if he had accepted his fate, or if he was still living in denial that it would happen._

 _I never found out._

 _I looked up into his gold eyes, once unsettling, but now my constant. I sniffed and slid my hands into his reddish hair, pulling his face closer to mine. Our lips touched and I pressed myself further into him, needing the assurance of his body there. My hands traced the contours of his strange greyish skin, knowing that this might be the last time I ever saw him._

 _His hands gripped my waist and pulled me to him, his own desperation just as loud as mine._

 _Still, we did not speak. I never heard the familiar rasp of his rough voice again, the rumble of his laughter- though rare -, or even the soft tune he would murmur whenever he was content._

 _Strange, how only months ago I had hated him, wanted nothing more than to drive my beautiful rapier into his skull, but now as I feverishly clung to him, I felt nothing other than love._

 _I assume it was the soul-bonding enchantment he cast on us, linking us together. Still, I think of him, though I am no longer locked away in that tower. Strange how before I had shied away from the term 'marriage', but now I want to openly call him my King, my husband._

 _I sit here on my throne and look around, wishing that I could see him one last time. But I know he is dead. He is completely and absolutely gone. Forever._

 _I am sorry to Link, who I love like a brother, for falling in love with your enemy. I am sorry to Midna, who I love like a sister, for falling in love with your enemy. I am sorry to Ilia, who has married my honorary brother, for falling in love with the man who set in motion the events that lost you your memory. I am sorry to the scholar Shad, who loves me like a husband would love his wife, for I cannot love you the same way. I am sorry to my mother and father, who I have loved since birth, for disappointing you._

 _But most of all, I am sorry to_ _him ,_ _who I love as a wife loves her husband, for not loving you more while you lived._

 _May the Goddess smile upon you, whomever you may be, and may the light illuminate your path._

 _-Zelda Nohansen, a Princess who dreamt herself a Queen._

* * *

It was getting hotter by the mintute. We had passed Mount Nabooru and were heading to the canyon entrance when the heat started rolling in. Riju and Barta seemed perfectly at ease, and Link was fine since he was dressed in his Gerudo style voe armor, but the rest of us were burning up.

Actually, I'm not sure was Xan felt like, because his face showed nothing. A perfectly neutral expression on his usually very expressive face. Suspicious.

The Jee Noh Shrine could be seen atop a cluster of boulders, and I wondered just how many shrines Link had completed on his journey to defeat the Calamity.

"Herein lies the ancient clan of the living eye, those ones whose past is shrouded in material shadows," Xan said aloud, his neutral expression not breaking. "We should proceed with caution."

"What's the 'living eye'?" I asked.

"Beware, traveler, the eye of the Yiga," was all Xan said in response.

His words chilled me, and not for the first time I wondered if he was really trustworthy.

As we passed through the canyon, I got the strange feeling that we were being watched. _Beware, traveler, the eye of the Yiga._ Were the Yiga Clan watching us? I thought Link disbanded them after killing their leader. Strange.

We reached the area Link said was overlooked by the Joloo Nah Shrine at about midday, and we stopped to eat. Dorian and Xan were clearly on edge, their movements tense and their eyes flickering around worriedly. Barta was the same, and she didn't eat much besides a few pieces of bread and drank some water, insisting that she keep watch. Riju looked worried too, but I wasn't sure if that was because she was feeling watched or if she was just reacting to Barta, Dorian and Xan. Paya was cuddled against Link again, her large brown eyes wide and worried.

I noticed that Xan's ears were twitching; had he heard something? Dorian's face was set into a determined scowl, and the both of them stood up.

"The sons of the living eye are called to reveal themselves!" Dorian shouted, drawing his eightfold blade.

 _"The traitor of the blood has returned to the ancient clan,"_ intoned a deep voice, seemingly from nowhere.

"What's going on?" I whispered to Riju.

"Yiga Clan," Barta growled and pulled out her scimitar and shield. "Show yourselves!"

 _"The sons of the living eye do not take heed the words of a foolish warrior of the sun."_ spat the disembodied voice.

"Do you heed the words of the father's son whose blood runs true?" called out Xan, not bothering to draw a weapon.

 _"The sons of the living eye have not seen reason to believe that a skychild would have true blood."_

Xan deflated slightly.

 _"Beware, travelers, the eye of the Yiga!"_ roared the voice, and suddenly several Yiga blademasters appeared out of nowhere, flanked by footsoldiers.

"No!" cried Xan, as the Yiga warriors charged.

Link leapt to his feet, drawing the Master Sword and holding it aloft.

 _"You travel with the hero clad in the color of the Goddess,"_ growled the voice again, which I assumed came from one of the blademasters.

I dove backward, grabbing Paya. We tumbled back until our backs were up against the stone, leaving us no escape. I watched as Dorian, Link and Barta fought valiantly, trying to find where Riju was.

When I found her, my heart leapt into my throat.

Riju was backed up against the wall, facing down a tall blademaster. She scrambled back, only to find no escape. The blademaster advanced on her, his windcleaver at the ready. My heart stopped, knowing that Link, Dorian and Barta were too far away to reach her in time, and neither I nor Paya were close enough to jump between Riju and the blade.

 _"No, no no no no no!"_ I thought, my eyes wide in horror. I was going to watch my friend die. After defeating Calamity Ganon and saving Hyrule, I still had to watch her die. _"NO!"_

Paya and I watched in absolute terror as the windcleaver was brought down, whooshing through the air with incredible force.

I wanted to close my eyes, but I couldn't, they stayed locked onto the form of Riju, watching the blade fall towards her.

 _Clang!_

My eyes widened. Another _blademaster_ had _blocked_ the attack! I blinked, shocked. The second blademaster, who was slightly taller and seemed to be more regal looking- if that was a thing you could call a blademaster -drove the first back and I got a look at the the swords he was holding. Yes, sword ** _s_**. He had two, both the same size, that were black with some sort of design painted on in red, the ends an ethereal aqua. Strange. They appeared to almost glow, but I couldn't quite tell from here.

 _"The son whose blood is that of the first father commands you to_ _ **lay down your arms!**_ _"_ a voice roared, one that I assumed came from the second blademaster.

Every Yiga soldier retreated quickly, sheathing their weapons and looking to the blademaster who had spoken.

 _"Return to the halls of the ancient clan who dwells within the rock, ye sons of the living eye."_ he commanded, his swords still drawn in warning.

The Yiga Clan warriors nodded and all disappeared, leaving not a trace of them behind.

"My Lady!" cried Barta, rushing to Riju and helping her up.

"I'm fine, Barta," Riju assured, standing up on her own. "Just a few scrapes from falling down."

"You," Barta addressed the blademaster who stood alone, swords still drawn. "I suppose I must thank you for saving the Lady Riju."

"No need," the blademaster said in a much less powerful voice. "I swore on the old mirror and the new gate I wouldn't betray you, didn't I?"

I stopped breathing. I hadn't even noticed Xan wasn't among us anymore. If I had, would I have seen him transform into the blademaster?

"Xan?" Riju gasped.

"Xantos, actually," Xan amended, waving his hands and vanishing his scimitars. "That's my full name. Xantos Shirimai."

"Did you know this?" Link asked Dorian, who was smiling.

"Of course I did," Dorian answered. "I knew Xantos when he was just a boy. I _was_ part of the Yiga Clan, don't you remember?"

"Well, yes," Link rubbed his head. "And why did they all listen to you, Xan- Xantos?"

Xantos was silent for a few seconds.

"I'm the leader," he said softly.

"What!?" Link's eyes bulged. "But you're- b-but- but Kohga- I-I don't-"

"Master Kohga was my father," Xantos said, sighing. "I was banished by him for decided I didn't want to hunt the hero. I haven't been in the Yiga Hideout in years. My father told the Clan that I had simply gone away, as he was too much of a coward to admit that is own flesh and blood, the blood of those whose skin burns in sunlight, had defected. Now that I've returned, the Yiga answer to me."

"That's…new." Link muttered.

"What does 'the blood of those whose skin burns in the sunlight' mean?" Riju asked, tilting her head to the side inquisitively.

"It's just a saying," Xantos shrugged. "I don't know where it came from. It's been said about the Shirimai bloodline for centuries."

Just then I noticed something about the mask that Xantos was wearing. Instead of the typical Yiga eye, it was right side up, the Sheikah symbol.

"I think that's where the tradition of wearing a completely covering outfit, as it 'protects' you from sunlight." Xantos reached up and began to unfasten his mask. "I see no reason to continue to hide my face."

"You've shown your face before, though," Link frowned.

"You've seen my Hylian disguise," Xantos corrected. "My actual body and appearance is much different. Every Yiga member learns how to manipulate their appearance to...hide in plain sight so to say. I haven't reverted back to my actual form in a long time. I've mostly pretended to be Hylian and travelled the world, looking and acting like everyone else."

"Are the Yiga naturally larger than normal Sheikah?" I asked, walking over and sitting down back where I'd been originally.

"The tallest and strongest are always trained to be blademasters, while the smaller and lighter ones, usually the outsider Sheikah like Dorian was, are trained to be footsoldiers or bowmen." Xantos explained. "But yes, most of us are larger than normal Sheikah. The legend of our people says that we were descended from giants, though I don't really believe that."

"Interesting," I mused.

Xantos pulled his mask off, slipping the cords that tied it out of their knots and pulling back his hood. His skin was dark, not Gerudo dark, but darker than a Hylian's, with black tattoos in the shape of fangs underneath both of his eyes. His eyes weren't the typical Sheikah crimson, but instead a slight red-orange, and his pupils were not circular, but rather more slitted, like a cat's.

His hair was a dark red and pulled back into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. A few locks of hair framed his face, a little like Link's, though his were all the exact same length. As he swung his ponytail to rest over his shoulder, I realized all of his hair was like that. There were small sections cut to exactly the same length, giving his hair an almost geometric aesthetic. How strange. His ears were pointed like a Hylian's, but his were much longer and thinner. As I watched, his ears twitched slighty, indicating he'd heard something minute that our ears couldn't pick up.

"It's nice to finally be able to hear again," Xantos laughed, his ears tilting up slightly in his joviality. "With Hylian ears my hearing is a lot worse than with my normal ears. No offense to Hylians of course!"

Link grinned and I laughed. Paya smiled and leaned her head against Link's shoulder, content, while Riju examined Xantos with interest.

"I think we've tarried here long enough," Dorian announced, standing back up. "We ought to be on our way if we want to reach Gerudo Town by tomorrow evening."

* * *

When we reached the Gerudo Canyon Stable, the sun was directly in front of us, the light peeking through the fissure that was the canyon.

While we were on the road, Xantos had removed his outer tunic, leaving on the robe underneath that left his arms bare. His arms were covered in strange swirling black tattoos, almost like a pinto horse's markings, though these were much smoother. The black started at his neck, right behind his jaw, and continued down over his collar bone, disappearing underneath his robe. The tattoo swirled over his shoulder and bicep like smoke, before finally reached his hand, which was almost completely black.

I climbed down from Rhoam's saddle and led him over to the stalls, carefully removing his saddle and bridle and feeding him a few apples. I rubbed his nose affectionately, giving him a kiss before walking back to the others. When I reached them, the sun had set and twilight had filtered in, a peaceful peachy glow.

"Xantos!" Riju gasped, and I turned to look at the man she was talking about.

My eyes widened as I saw why Riju had exclaimed. There were strange aqua green designs snaking across the black tattoos on Xantos' shoulder and arm, glowing like the shrines.

"It _is_ true," Dorian said in awe. "By the old mirror and the new gate, the son whose blood runs true is truly a son of Twilight!"

Xantos looked up, seeming a little embarrassed.

"I was born with them," he said softly. "The markings that is. They only light up at twilight, though."

"Indeed," Dorian mused.

Riju was looking more and more disturbed by the minute, so I figured I ought to go talk to her. I walked over, eyeing Link and Paya out of the corner of my eye. They were sitting by the cooking fire and Paya was trying to feed Link some rushrooms.

I looked away, the slight throb in my heart more pronounced.

"Riju?" I called. The Gerudo in question lifted her head.

"Yes, Zelda?" Riju tore her worried gaze from Xantos and stood up. "Did you need something?"

"I was wondering if you could spare a moment to talk with me?" I smiled, ignoring the jealousy that was simmering in my heart from seeing Link and Paya.

"Of course," Riju returned my smile with a knowing look.

We walked a little ways away, back down the canyon path until we reached the overhang.

"So, is it Link and Paya again?" Riju asked.

I looked down, embarrassed at being caught.

"Sort of," I shook my head, sighing. "I'll get over it. I might have been a princess, but that doesn't mean I get everything my way. Now, what I wanted to ask you about is why you looked so unnerved by Xantos?"

Riju shivered and looked back at the stable, where Xantos and Dorian were currently sparring.

"Those tattoos, the black ones," Riju whispered. "Nohansen has them too."

My eyes widened.

"Do his glow?" I asked, brows furrowing above my emerald eyes.

"I don't think so," Riju shook her head. "But it's just reminsicent of him. Same eye color too."

"Strange," I frowned, pulling at a lock of my golden hair.

We walked back to the stable in silence, myself pondering the connontations of this new development. I sat down beside Dorian, who'd gotten exhausted from sparring, and watched as Riju walked over to Xantos and said something I couldn't make out.

Xantos nodded and stood up, and the two walked away, probably to have a private conversation.

I headed into the stable to sleep before anyone else, tired from the excitement earlier. As I curled up in my blanket, I once again though about why Xantos would looked similar to Nohansen. And also why Zarikan's surname was Nohansen.

I drifted off around the time Paya and Link came in, and the last thing I remembered seeing before I fell asleep was Paya kissing Link's cheek.

* * *

"Zelda?"

I did not turn, I only continued to stare out at the hills of Hyrule field, bathed in the dying embers of twilight. I hated this time of day, mostly because it reminded me of _him._

"Zelda, please," a hand brushed against mine.

I looked up to see Shad, his dark grey eyes swimming with concern. I did not need his concern.

"What is it, Shad?" I looked away, pulling my hand from under his.

"You are depressed," he stated, placing his hand over mine again. Why would he not leave me be?

"So I am," I agreed. "But it is not of your concern, scholar."

Shad flinched, though I was not sure if it was because of my rebuke, or because I did not call him by his given name.

"But it _is_ of my concern," he protested, squeezing my hand. "Zelda, I _care_ about you. I want to _help_ you. It would be nice if you would let me."

I didn't respond, choosing to watch the twilight fade as the moon rose. Shad sighed, letting go of my hand. My hand felt empty and cold, but I ignored it.

 _"Please,_ Zelda." Shad whispered, his hands turning my face to his. "Let me help you."

I stared at him blankly.

"I do not need help," I said flatly, pulling my face away and walking back inside the castle. "It is best if you stop offering it."

I did not turn, because I did not want to see the crestfallen look on Shad's face. It did pain me to push him away, but I could not love him. Not how he wanted me to.

I was too in love with my enemy.

My _dead_ enemy.

My dead husband.

 _What have I done?_

* * *

 **(A/N) Such drama. Is Zelda Nohansen(Twilight Era) disturbing you yet? She's a strange soul, that's for sure.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review and tell me what you thought! (and also who you think Nohansen is, though from my perspective it's pretty obvious)**

 **Thanks for reading! :3**


	5. Spirit In The Dusk

**(A/N) Okay, so is totally not uploaded in time, and I'm super sorry for that. Isn't it funny how as soon as I say I have an upload schedule I miss the deadline? How irritating.**

 **Anyway, so here is the long awaited(maybe) chapter five of _A Breath of Life._ Again, I'm really sorry I didn't get this up quickly, and I hope you can forgive me. :'(**

 **I'm very excited for this one, since it's a bit different than the past chapters. I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 ** _A Breath of Life_**

 ** _Chapter Five: Spirit In The Dusk_**

I sighed, fiddling with the dagger in my hand. Link glanced at me from where he stood a little ways away, but remained silent. I appreciated that. We were deep in the woods now, and if I were to say where we were, I would say lost. Well, _I_ was lost. Link seemed to be finding his way perfectly. I was lucky to have him as my guide through these mystic woods.

I set the dagger down on the rock beside me and studied the book I held in my lap. It was covered in unfamiliar markings and strange symbols, to alien-looking people the biggest eyes I had ever seen.

I shivered, wondering how Link had ever stayed calm in the Twilight Realm. I closed the book, sliding the dagger back in the mark where I had been looking, and stood up.

"You _do_ know where we're going, don't you?" I asked Link.

He scowled at me, but nodded his assurance.

"Keep your head on, Shad, we're almost there." he said, starting forward.

I sighed again and followed him dilligently, keeping my book under my arm. The Lost Woods were not a friendly place, as their design was to keep people away from the Sacred Grove as Link called it, which had once been the Temple of Time. I was excited to see what had become of the old place of worship, and even more excited to study the architecture and aesthetic of the temple.

"Hee hee hee!"

I jerked my head up, alarmed at the shrill laughter.

"Relax," Link muttered. "It's just Skull Kid again."

"A Skull Kid?" my face lit up. I'd read about them, but never actually seen them. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Link sighed.

"Hee hee hee, wanna play a game, wolf boy?" the high-pitched voice of the Skull Kid sang amidst the canopy.

"No," Link growled.

"Ooh, but I can tell you where to find the answers you want!" suddenly, a strange looking creature with a trumpet and huge red eyes dropped down from the trees.

"What answers?" Link rolled his eyes, looking very tired.

"I can help you find _him,"_ the Skull Kid giggled again and hopped up and down. "The one that the Princess is so head-over-heels for!"

The Skull Kid snickered again and began to play an eerie tune on his trumpet.

"Who?" I asked, pushing my glasses further up my nose. I tried to keep the jealousy out of my voice, but I wasn't sure if it worked. I cared deeply about Princess Zelda, though she rejected my attempts to show her how much.

"Hee hee hee!" the Skull Kid put his trumpet down and tilted his head at me. His unblinking stare gave me chills. "The golden eyed one, the one she's soul-bound to!"

"How do you know this?" Link demanded, scowling.

"He told me," the Skull Kid clapped his hands cheerfully. "I used to hear him when he was around the Princess, back when everything was dark and cold. All that dusk was so icky! I'm glad it's gone!"

With that he hopped off the stump he had been standing on and started prancing off into the woods. A few steps and he turned back, waving for us to follow.

"What are you waiting for?" he giggled again. "Don't you want to see the Temple?"

I looked at Link beseechingly.

"It couldn't hurt to follow him, could it?" I asked sheepishly.

Link narrowed his blue eyes but gave a resigned shrug.

"One of these days, Shad, you're going to get yourself killed." he muttered as we began walking after the Skull Kid.

* * *

I could tell once we reached the temple that the Skull Kid wanted us to see that it wasn't the same area Link had been before. Link's frown and confused look told me that much.

"Go on," the Skull Kid snickered, pointing to the large carved block of obsidian stone that stood in the center of the room, surrounded by pillars. "Hit the stone with the light from your sword, wolf boy!"

"My sword doesn't have light," Link protested, crossing his arms.

"Yes it does," the Skull Kid sighed dramatically. "'Raise to holy blade skyward and the power of Hylia shall bless you!' Or some other such poetry. I dunno, but I think you should try it."

Link looked skeptical, but he groaned and drew the Master Sword, raising the point straight up. At first, nothing happened. But then the sword began to absorb the light, filling up and glowing like some sort of crystal.

"There, now hit the rock, wolf boy!" the Skull Kid hopped on one foot, watching Link with his strange red eyes.

Link approached the stone and swung his sword, the light from the blade spinning out to form a disc of energy that hit the stone and shattered.

"Nothing is happening," I noted in confusion.

"Just wait," the Skull Kid said dismissively. "Be patient, it'll happen."

Then, as if the Skull Kid's words were the command to change, the stone transformed before my eyes into a colossal gear with patterns of the Triforce and other symbols, held aloft and rotated by two additional gears that were only half visible, the other halves seemingly disappearing into another dimension.

"What _is_ that?" I whispered in awe, staring at the massive structure.

"It's the gateway," the Skull Kid giggled like it was obvious. "Better go inside!"

"Inside?" Link questioned, but as soon as the words were out of his mouth the gear changed and the inner circle of it collapsed in to form a passage.

Link's mouth dropped open and his eyes went wider than I'd ever seen them.

"Is that a gateway to the Twilight Realm?" he gasped.

"I think it's called the Gate of Time, actually," responded the imp nonchalantly. "Go through, he's waiting for you."

Link stepped back from the portal, shaking his head. He backed away towards the entrance they'd come in through, motioning for me to follow. I shook my head, looking back at the gateway.

"Shad!" Link hissed from behind me. "Don't you dare go through!"

"I thought you were supposed to be the brave one?" I mused, walking forward. Even though I disliked the idea of someone else holding Zelda's affections, I wanted her to be happy. And if bringing this man back from wherever he was and taking him to Hyrule Castle would make Zelda happy, then I would do it.

"Shad!" Link groaned.

I stepped up onto the platform before the Gate of Time, staring into the abyss on the other side. Was this a death trap? I didn't think so, from what I'd read about Skull Kids it always said they generally tried to help, though their methods were a little backwards, and never aimed to kill. All except for that possessed one I'd heard about that had rampaged in Termina.

"Get back here!" Link growled, stamping his foot in irritation.

"Don't you want to go through too?" I asked, turning slightly to face him. "Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"Of course I'm curious!" Link said in exasperation. "But you can't just go walking through- SHAD!"

I ignored him and stepped through the gate, walking on thin air. It was a strange feeling, the almost weightlessness of it, but I continued on into the gateway. I sensed Link had entered behind me, but now that I was so far in I couldn't see anything except for the faint outlines of the gears I was walking through. After what could've been minutes or years I stepped out of the portal and onto solid ground.

The first thing I noticed was how cold it was. The second thing I noticed was that there was no sun. Or moon. Or really any obvious source of the yellowish orange glow that illuminated the land around the Gate of Time. Everything was black and grey, no grass or trees or flowers in sight. Straight ahead of me was a broken archway, that perhaps once had held a door.

Link exited behind me, muttering about insubordination, and thumped down onto the ground beside me.

"Where _is_ this?" I asked Link, who was staring in shock.

He pointed to the sky and I noticed strange upward floating objects, all black, that went high and disappeared into the thick blanket of glowing clouds.

"What is that?" I frowned, pushing my glasses up my nose again. "And where is the person the Skull Kid mentioned that will make Zelda happy again?"

"It's Twilight Matter," Link answered staring at the little black squares that drifted up into the sky. "But the Twilight Realm is a cluster of islands suspended in the sky, unless…"

Link looked up, trying to squint through the clouds.

"Unless we're _underneath_ the Palace of Twilight, and this is the Surface of that realm." Link whispered. "But-"

His head suddenly shot up, ears twitching.

"What?" I asked. "What is it?"

"Listen," Link whispered, staring ahead at the desolate landscape that surrounded us.

I strained my ears, but I couldn't hear anything.

"I don't hear anything," I whispered back to Link.

"Shhh," he hissed back, his head tilted to catch the sound better. "It's this way."

He turned and walked back around the Gate of Time, which appeared to be the only thing in this place that was still in impeccable condition, and I followed, wondering what it was that he was hearing.

The entire temple seemed to be in ruins, falling apart or already collapsed, but Link seemed to have found where the old entrance would be, and was heading towards it.

"Link," I called after him, but he shushed me again.

We climbed over a fallen pillar and exited the site of the ruined temple. Link had gone over to an old statue that seemed to be of a bird, that had writing on it in ancient Hylian.

"Shad, do you read old Hylian?" Link asked me as I approached him and the bird statue.

"I'm alright at translating, I suppose," I replied, kneeling down to the writing on the statue. "I think it says: 'Hold the blade of holy light skyward to ascend to the heavens.'"

Link frowned, then pulled out the Master Sword and pointed the tip up, repeating what he'd done earlier to open the Gate of Time. Only this time, no light filled the sword up.

Link let the sword fall to his side, sighing.

"There isn't a sun or moon in the Twilight Realm, so I suppose I can't use the light beam here." he scowled, sheathing the blade of evil's bane in its scabbard. "We can't 'ascend skyward' or whatever that said."

"Are there any other stones with ancient writing on them?" I asked hopefully, my eyes lighting up at the prospect.

"There's that," Link nodded to a spire that seemed to have fallen from the sky, or else someone had plunged it into the ground, for it was sticking up straight in the hard soil.

I edged closer, trying to make out what it said on the side that was closest to me.

"'Here stands the Sealed Temple, Temple of Hylia in the Golden Age before the Goddess sent us to the clouds.'" I recited. "'When the Hero returns, he shall pull the dark blade out of its resting place within the ground and drive this totem in its stead, holding back the ancient evil that sleeps there.'"

I frowned at the spire, chewing on my lip nervously. Link's head jerked to the side and he looked behind us, away from what I supposed was called the Sealed Temple.

"What is it?" I asked, standing up and brushing off my trousers. "What do you hear?"

"Get the spire," was all Link said. "We're going to seal some evil."

* * *

Dark.

Yet…light as well.

Do I still exist? I am not even sure anymore. I cannot feel anything, not even my own body. I am stuck in endless nothing, waiting.

Waiting for what?

Waiting for someone to free me. I want to hate. I want to be angry. But I cannot. I am not sure I even possess the ability to hate or be angry.

Perhaps I spoke too soon, for I am starting to hate myself.

I am hating myself for being like _them._

Apathetic. Unfeeling. Unloving.

But I do not want to think of them, to think of my family. Not that they were much of a family at all.

I see flashes, flashes of what my body sees, but nothing more. I cannot control myself from my prison in this accursed sword, nor can I plead for release. I am frozen. Waiting for help that will never come.

Then I see _her_. Through flashes of my body's eyes, I can see a woman, a Hylian perhaps, with long dark hair and navy blue eyes.

 _She is beautiful._

Suddenly I am scared. What if I hurt her? What if my body does not take heed my shouts to spare her? I feel as if I am speaking to a stone. A heartless being that kills in cold blood. All to rule a land I do not even want.

But I do not hurt her, I leave her alone. Perhaps that is worse, for now she will see firsthand the suffering her people are sure to recieve under my hand.

I realize I can feel hate.

But it is self-hatred. Hate for causing this perfect creature such agony.

 _What have I done?_

* * *

Zelda. That is her name. Zelda Nohansen. She is the Princess of Hyrule. But that is all I know of her. I sense her hatred towards me, and I wonder if it is just because of what I have done to her people or because I am shadow and she is light.

I can feel the force of the light inside her. She is a Triforce bearer. Why can she not just kill me and free herself? Perhaps she is too good, too pure. And I do not want to turn her into a cold hearted monster like I have become. Or my body has become.

I wonder if anyone else had survived their soul being ripped from them, but I find I would much rather spend my time watching Zelda than pondering questions I will never have answered.

* * *

I did something foolish.

I bound my soul to hers.

Not that I actually had any say in it, it was my other half's choice, but now I am even more tied to her that I was before.

I feel a new emotion now.

Love.

I love her.

I have never felt love before. Not when I was complete, soul and body. I only felt spite, anger, hate, mistrust. The only time I felt anything close to compassion was when I would come across Hylians close to death. I felt sorrow, sorrow because they did not need to die. They were not evil, not in my eyes.

* * *

The soul-bond I formed with Zelda has influenced her emotions I think, and I feel awful. I forced her to love me. And I hate it.

I still hate myself.

I think the bond is beginning to affect the piece of my soul still inside my body, as it isn't as cold towards Zelda as it used to be.

I am glad, for I do not want to hurt her.

I can feel echoes of touch from my body, faint but clealy there. I know what her skin feels like. It is soft, but not as smooth as mine. The color is a creamy peach, a sharp contrast to my grey. Her eyes are a dark blue, filled with wisdom and emotion. Her hair is a dark brown, and I wonder if it is as soft as it looks. The color is much gentler, more so than the harsher reds of my hair.

I wonder if she knows that the version of me she is speaking with is actually only a fragment of my soul. I wish I could escape my prison here and go to her, protect her from the atrocities that my other half has commited.

I have seen him, the Hero, in flashed, though he is not as clear as Zelda. He appears to be young, younger than I am. Perhaps around Zelda's age. He has interacted with her before, and I feel a sharp jab of jealousy when she mentions how the Hero will save her kingdom, talking about how brave and courageous he is.

I feel a strange smugness rise inside of me when I think about how Zelda's soul is bound to mine, unable to fall in love with this 'Hero'. But after I think this, I feel awful, once more sinking into self-hatred. Was I so selfish and possessive of Zelda that I never wanted her to have the freedom to fall in love naturally? I hadn't allowed her that choice, I had taken her freedom away, not just by locking her in that tower, but by binding her soul to mine.

* * *

I am not sure how, but I think I have fallen even deeper in love with Princess Zelda. I heard myself tell her of my past, and she didn't scorn me or turn away, saying I should have dealt with it better, but she instead looked at me with her navy blue eyes filled with compassion and she wrapped her arms around my middle, resting her head against my chest. She did not hate me for trying to run, for what I'd done to myself, but instead she was empathetic, she was comforting.

She is the first person I have ever thought to consider a friend.

The Hero has gone through two trials already, from what Zelda has said, and what my body has understood. Zelda grows more anxious every day, and my vision of her is becoming clearer.

She is more comfortable in my presence now, and she seems to unknowingly drift towards me when we are together. Day and night are hard to tell apart in Twilight, but it seemed that most of our time spent together was in what could be considered evening. I can feel her smaller frame leaning against mine, watching the Twilight Matter float upward out her window.

* * *

I sense we are running out of time. Time to do what, I am not sure. My body has been off doing other things, but I can feel the strain put on not only it, but myself as well.

The last time I saw her was exhilarating. My body finds her in the tower cell, standing still by the window. I can now see and feel almost fully what my body sees and feels when I am around Zelda, but I cannot control myself. She slides down to the floor, sobbing, and a stab of pain shoots through my chest. I place my hands on her shoulders, drawing her back into my arms. She turns, and I see the tears leaving wet trails down her soft skin, her eyes wide and red.

Her small hands lift and she threads her fingers into my hair, pulling my head down and leaning hers up. I have kissed her before, I know, but now that I can feel every part of my body, it is much more potent.

She molds her body to mine, and because my torso is longer than hers, she has to sit up straight and I have to curl over her. Even though I know cannot control my body, I still try to hold myself back, knowing I am stronger than her and I am afraid I will break her.

If I am being too rough with her, she doesn't seem to mind. If anything, she seems to like it. It's strange; she feels so breakable yet so soft and pliant at the same time. My mind does not dwell on this long, there are other things to think about at the moment.

* * *

The Gate of Time opened. I sense it.

Someone has entered the Twilight Realm from the Sealed Temple.

No. Not someone. There are two people. One is that Hero boy, the one who turns into a wolf. The other is someone else entirely, someone I have never sensed before. I can feel love radiating off of him when he mentions Zelda.

 _My_ Zelda.

 _Don't touch her, foolish Hylian. She belongs to me!_

Hero boy hears me.

No one has ever heard me before.

 _Hello, Hero boy._

I don't think he recognizes my voice. After all, this is my actual voice, not that cold, hateful tone that my body spoke in.

 _Free me._

Yes, come here, Hero boy, free me. Let me return to Zelda. _My_ Zelda.

Both Hylian men find the spire that I assume Hylia put there before sealing the Demon King away in this sword. I can vaguely feel his presence, but is not potent. Not like it would be if he was as powerful as he once had been.

The other man reads the text on it, and I see my chance to escape.

 _I am trapped within the evil. Free me and seal the evil. I must return to Zelda._

Hero boy seems to agree, and he and the other man succeed in pulling the spire out and carrying it down into the pit, where Hero boy pulls out the sword and they plunge the spire into the ground to 'seal the evil'.

I am not freed. I am still trapped within this accursed sword.

 _Take me to Zelda._

Hero boy and friend heed my command and we leave the Twilight Realm.

Finally. Ages spent trying to open the old gate and now I am finally free. The old mirror is no more. I have left my prison of apathy and darkness into a land of hope and light by the new gate.

 _I am coming, my Queen._

* * *

 **(A/N) I think it's now pretty obvious who Zarikan is, but I'm not saying for sure yet. ;)**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'm still sorry for it being late.**

 **Thanks for reading! :3**


	6. The Gerudo King

**(A/N) Chapter six is done! I hope you enjoyed the previous backstory chapter, but now we're back to the present with Zelda, Link, and Riju, all heading to Gerudo Town.**

 **In this chapter, we finally meet Zarikan Nohansen, the illusive villain of the story. (yay)**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 ** _A Breath of Life_**

 ** _Chapter Six: The Gerudo King_**

 _Journal Entry: Number 834_

 _My last three moon cycles have skipped. I was beginning to become concerned, so I visited the court physician and she said I was with child._

 _I am with child._

 _It seems so strange to hear those words. There is an actual living baby inside of me right now. A real, sentient creature._

 _When she first told me, I was horrified. I am only twenty and two years of age, am I ready to care for a child? Moreover, is my mental state stable enough for me to be a good mother?_

 _I am certain that the child is female, as all firstborn Hyrulian royals are, but I am worried that she will look too much like her father._

 _What will Link say when he finds out I concieved a child with_ _him_ _? I suppose I didn't really do anything wrong, as he was my husband, but it feels wrong._

 _I wonder if she will have his eyes, that beautiful gold, or my blue. Will she have red hair or brown? Maybe even blonde like my mother? Will her skin be pale like mine, or greyish like his?_

 _My hand keeps drifting to my middle, and I wonder how long I can keep this from Link and Shad._

 _They returned back from their expedition, but they haven't said a word about how it went. I wonder if something happened they aren't telling me. I suppose this is what I deserve for keeping secrets of my own._

 _I see him in my dreams at night. I see his gold eyes, staring unblinkingly into my own. He is truly a beautiful creature, but a sad one. He was a very lonely soul, separated from his people like this. Though sometimes I had to wonder if he even cared about them._

 _I also wonder, if he was still alive, what would he say about the child? He was fascinated by me, since I was Hylian, so would he hold the same fascination for our child, even if he didn't love her?_

 _No, I am sure he would love her. He isn't that heartless, right?_

 _I am overjoyed to have a daughter, but I am scared of what people will think, and if they will hurt her. Will they ostracize her for being only half Hylian? Will they hate_ _him_ _even more for 'defiling' the royal bloodline?_

 _I am scared, but I am happy as well. I finally have a living piece of_ _him_ _with me. A child that is both myself and my husband._

 _I already love her with all of my heart, and I wish the best possible life for her._

 _May the Goddess smile upon you, whomever you may be, and may the light illuminate your path._

 _Zelda Nohansen, a Princess who dreamt herself a Queen._

* * *

If I had thought that Gerudo Canyon was hot than I was sorely unprepared for the blistering heat of the Great Desert. I was down to my undertunic and leggings, but the heat combined with the weight of my pack was awful.

I wasn't the only one suffering though. Paya looked just as miserable as I was, and her entire face was flushed, whether from heat or because Link was wearing clothing meant for Gerudo vai, I wasn't sure.

Barta and Riju were doing fine, if not a little tired from walking on sand, and Dorian was either unbothered or was keeping his discomfort hidden. Xantos was silent, although I had to say he looked a little sickly. Riju kept glancing back at him worriedly, and I wondered what it was they had discussed the previous night.

Xantos' black tattoos seemed more grey in the sunlight, and his gold eyes were hooded and weary. For the first time since he took his mask off I noticed his waterlines were black as well, matching the sharp tattoos under his eyes.

"Ah, there's Kara Kara Oasis!" announced Link in a voice too masculine for that outfit. "We can rest there for a bit, but we'll need to keep on going as soon as possible."

There was a general agreement and we continued trudging through the sweltering sands.

When we finally reached the respite of Kara Kara Oasis, it was already an hour past noon. At this rate we wouldn't reach Gerudo Town until nightfall, and I wasn't sure if they let visitors in after dark.

 _I can make an exception for you, my lovely Zelda._

I jumped, Zarikan's sudden appearance startling me.

 _"Go away,"_ I said in my head, gritting my teeth in irriation.

 _Hmm, I don't think so._

I resigned to simply ignoring him, going to dip my feet in the cool water. I sighed in bliss as the coldness of the liquid seeped into my skin and relaxed me.

 _Do you not enjoy the warmth of the desert, love?_

 _"First of all, don't ever call me 'love',"_ I snapped at him mentally. _"And to answer your question, no, I don't particularly enjoy this temperature. I much prefer colder climates."_

 _Interesting._

 _"Does that offend you?"_ I asked. _"After all, you_ are _Gerudo."_

 _Am I?_

His malevolent laughter echoed around me as his voice faded away. What was I supposed to take away from that?

"Miss, hey, miss!"

I looked up to see a few men sitting around a cooking pot. I got to my feet and walked over, wondering what it was they wanted and if they'd heard anything about Zarikan's take over.

"Yes?" I asked as I reached them.

"Are you heading to Gerudo Town?" one enquired, wiping some sweat from his brow.

"Yes, I am." I replied, then gestured to Link, Paya, the two Gerudo women, and Dorian and Xantos. "Along with my group, of course."

"Haven't you heard?" a fair haired man raised an eyebrow at me. "They say that the old Gerudo King Ganondorf came back and took over. I wouldn't go near that place if I were you."

"Did you hear what happened in the southwest?" the first asked the fair haired one.

"About the site of the old gladiator arena?" the fair haired one nodded. "Yep, heard all about that. Think it's got anything to do with Ganondorf?"

"I dunno," the first shrugged. "But it does seem awfully suspicious that it happened around the same time. And plus, wasn't Ganondorf executed at that place?"

"What place?" I asked, feeling lost.

"Oh, sorry, miss." the fair haired one apologized. "I got a bit carried away. Let me explain."

He gestured for me to sit down and I obliged, crossing my legs and placing my hands on them.

"So, a long time ago there was a temple out in the desert, yeah?" the fair haired one began. "It was apparently a sacred ground for the Gerudo, and they called it the Spirit Temple. When Hyrule massacred most of the tribe, they razed the temple to the ground and built a gladiator arena in its place, somewhere where they could kill off the Gerudo for Hyrulians' entertainment. Sounds disgusting to me."

I nodded, feeling a bit sick just thinking about it.

"They called it Arbiter's Grounds, since there the Seven Sages would preside over trials and condemn the accused. After his failed attempt to take over Hyrule, Ganondorf was executed there." the man ran a hand through his sandy hair. "However, recently there was some commotion out where Arbiter's Grounds once stood. And now? If you squint, you can see the faint outlines of the Sages' medallions raised up on flagpoles, just like they were when Arbiter's Grounds stood in its prime."

I looked southwest, where the man had pointed. I squinted my eyes and true to what the man had said, saw the faintest silhouette of flagpoles in the distance. How curious.

"Hey," Link had walked over, and was standing in front of me. "We're getting ready to head out, are you ready?"

"Oh, great." I groaned. "Yes, I'm ready."

I stood up, said a polite goodbye to the men I had been talking to before and followed Link over to where the rest of our group was gathered, underneath a canopy.

Xantos was looking worse, and his tattoos seemed even lighter than before, which was strange since he wasn't in the sunlight. He was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. That was also odd, shouldn't the heat have evaporated his sweat?

"-know you can tell us if you are feeling sick, Xantos," Riju was saying from where was sitting beside him, holding a cloth soaked in cold water out to him. "You should take this."

"I'll be fine," Xantos assured, though he was clearly lying. "Don't worry about me, let's just keep going."

Riju and Link shared a concerned look, but Link sighed.

"Alright then," he conceded. "But if you start to feel off, tell us immediately. Don't write it off."

"Yes, sir." Xantos quipped in agreement and stood up with more effort than should have been necessary. Riju held out her hands to steady him, but he shot her a look that clearly meant he wanted to do this on his own.

"Let's head out," Dorian said, waving Barta over from where she'd been standing a few feet away. "Off to Gerudo Town we go."

* * *

The last stretch of the journey was certainly the longest. It was hot and uncomfortable, and we had to move slower because of Xantos' condition. The longer he stayed in the sun, the lighter his tattoos became and the sicker he grew. Did he have a severe allergic reaction to sunlight? Was that what was happening? I tried asking Dorian about it, because he seemed to know what was going on, but he just said to ask Xantos when he got better.

Riju kept stealing furtive glances back at Xantos, but Barta made sure the Gerudo Chieftain continued moving in the front with Link, instead of near the back with Dorian and Xantos.

Paya stayed right by Link's side, leaving me to stand by Barta in the middle. The tall Gerudo warrior didn't talk much, and that was fine with me. Her strong will and protective attitude towards Riju reminded me of my late friend, Urbosa.

Urbosa had been like a mother to me, ever since my own had died; she even called me the same thing: Little Bird. I remember Revali, the Rito Champion, asking about the name once, and I was too overcome with emotion to finish telling the story. Urbosa had protected me like I was her own daughter, taught me combat, and tried to cheer me up whenever my attempts to harness the sacred power failed.

I missed her so much.

I wondered what she would have said if she could have seen me, walking across the Great Desert, plagued with this strange man's voice inside my head. I longed for her comfort, her embrace.

But she had passed on, and now I had others to help me through, though I lacked a parental figure. I had Link, though I knew he would never love me the way I loved him, I had Riju, whom I was beginning to trust more and more, and I had Paya. I still wasn't sure if I could trust Xantos, and my wariness around Dorian hadn't faded since he had started conversing with Xantos in that strange code.

The sun was setting, and the air was beginning to cool off nicely. I knew that it was bound to get frigid if we spent too much time out in the desert, so I was eager to get to Gerudo Town.

As it cooled and the air became colder, Xantos seemed to perk up, his tattoos growing a little darker. I supposed that was a good sign, but since Dorian refused to tell me what was wrong, I didn't know for sure. When I looked back, Xantos' eyes were fully open and he gave me a strained smile. I smiled back slightly, and turned ahead, looking at the outline of Gerudo Town on the horizon.

* * *

We reached the wall at nearly five hours since we left the Kara Kara Oasis, and Xantos had recovered somewhat, though he still seemed sick.

"Men can't enter Gerudo Town," Dorian stated as we came upon the entrance. "There's a canopy over there, I'll go ask if Xantos and I can stay there."

"Oh, that's Bozai's," Link said, looking over to where Dorian had gestured. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you guys get to stay there. Just watch."

Link, fully clad in his Gerudo vai outfit(he really was a scrawny boy, wasn't he?), began walking over to the canopy, where a Hylian man with black hair was sitting casually. The man was wearing no shoes for some odd reason.

"Bozai!" Link called in a voice much too feminine for my tastes. He giggled girlishly and sauntered over to the man, hips swaying. Was Link even a man to begin with? He sure knew how to act like a woman.

"Hey," the man, Bozai, looked over and his face lit up. "You're that girl who found the Eighth Heroine Statue for me! I never thought I'd see you again, what's up?"

"Oh, I just need a little favor," Link batted his eyelashes, looking down shyly.

"Oh, really?" Bozai looked far too eager. If only he knew that Link was a man… "What is it?"

"Could you let my friends stay here under your canopy for a couple days?" Link asked, nodding his head at Dorian and Xantos. "They can't go into Gerudo Town, so I thought that you might let them stay. Please, Bozai?"

Link widened his eyes and clasped his hands together.

"Oh, alright." Bozai conceded, sighing. "Are you… _with_ that one?"

He looked pointedly at Xantos.

"Oh, no, of course not!" Link exclaimed. "He's a bit to bulky for my tastes anyway."

Link giggled again. Bozai shot Xantos a glare, before smirking at Link.

"Well, if you-"

"Great!" Link cut him off, jumping up and down happily. "I'm going to stay at an inn in Gerudo Town tonight, since we've got business in there and people to talk to. Goodnight, Bozai!"

Bozai waved, a little dejected, and reluctantly helped Dorian bring Xantos to the canopy.

"Make sure to meet back here tomorrow when you can," Dorian said, sitting down beside Xantos. "But don't rush it. If you've got business, you'd better get it done."

Link nodded, taking mine and Paya's forearms and leading us back to the gate.

"Milady Riju!" one of the guards exclaimed. "And- Barta! Where have you been?!"

The second exclamtion was slightly more irritated.

"I was escorting Lady Riju safely back," Barta snapped, her hand resting warily on her scimitar.

"Well," the guard relaxed a small bit, and looked back at Riju. "Buliara has been worried. The King as well."

Riju sighed, nodding.

"I shouldn't have run, I know that." she said quietly. "I will go see Buliara tonight."

The guards both nodded, letting us pass. I was surprised they let Link through, but I supposed his disguise was enough to fool them, as well as Bozai.

Gerudo Town had not changed much since I'd been there before the Calamity, it was still a beautiful courtyard full of tall women, bustling about even in the evening hours. Several young girls ran around, chasing each other, and even a few Gorons were resting a ways away. Why the Gorons had been let in, I didn't know.

"Ah, home." Riju smiled forlornly. "I hope we can change Buliara's mind, and get her to realize something isn't right with that Nohansen."

"Me too," I whispered back. "This place is beautiful, it deserves a good ruler."

Riju's smile became warm as she looked at me, and she grasped my hand, squeezing it a bit.

"Thank you for coming here, Zelda." she said, honesty shining in her gold eyes. "I truly appreciate your help."

"You are most welcome, Lady Riju," I bowed slightly to her. She laughed, but then her expression grew darker.

"We need to talk to Buliara." she said firmly. "Come on."

We walked through the courtyard with purpose, Riju leading, Link, Paya, and I behind her, and Barta in the back. Barta's hand was hovering around her scimitar's hilt, ready for any attack, and Link still had a Lizalfos boomerang hanging on his hip; it was too consipcuous to carry the Master Sword.

We walked up the steps to the palace and were stopped by two guards, their spears blocking our path.

"Halt!" one said. "What is your- Lady Riju!"

Both spears were pulled back instantly, the guards returning to their previous stations.

"My apologies, Milady." the guard said. "I did not realize it was you. Thank Din you've returned to us."

"I would stay to chat about my travels, but I must speak with Buliara." Riju told them, beginning to move forward again. "Thank you for letting us pass."

"Of course, Milady."

We continued in, and Riju fell back a bit to walk beside me.

"Um, Zelda?" she whispered shyly. "Could you…hold my hand? I'm sorry, I should be braver, but-"

"Of course I will," I reached over and took her hand in mine, smiling reassuringly. "And you're plenty brave."

Riju squeezed my head in thanks and we walked into the throne room.

A huge woman with a large claymore in front of her stood off to the left of the throne, her gold eyes widening slightly as she saw Riju. She said nothing, but I assumed she must have been Buliara. She was dressed in much more elaborate armor than Barta and the other guards, so she was clearly higher up than they were.

"Well, well, well."

I turned my eyes away from Buliara and looked to the throne, where the voice had come from.

Sitting with his legs crossed in a superior manner, was a tall Gerudo man, wearing a circlet of gold around his head. His skin was dark like all the Gerudo, and body was decorated with swirling tattoos, similar to those of Xantos, but not quite the same. He had shoulder armor on, gold and orange, and wore the same lightweight trousers Link had in his voe set. His boots were thin, sleek and gold-plated like the Gerudo guards', and had amber droplets inset in the metal.

His chest was bare, except for the afore mentioned shoulder armor's fastening straps, and he was thin, unlike many of the artworks done of Ganondorf. He had defined muscle, but nothing like the bulky girth of the King of Thieves.

His face was even more drastically different than that of Ganondorf's. He had high cheekbones and a thin jaw, a long nose, though it wasn't pointed like most Gerudo, and gold eyes. His eyes were rimmed by kohl, and the line stretched from the inner corners of his eyes to the outer. There were identical scars underneath both of his eyes, making him seem even more unnatural, and his irises were a more orange gold than yellow gold.

His blood red hair was restrained by his crown, only framing his face on the sides, the rest being pulled back and tied at the nape of his neck. His pupils were slits, just like Xantos', and they focused on Riju immediately.

"Welcome back, little Riju." his lips twisted into a condescending smirk. "It's been a long few days. You had us worried."

His voice was a rough baritone, with the slightest hint of a Gerudo accent. It was definitely the voice of Zarikan Nohansen.

"And look at this," he smiled coldly down at me, leaning forward slightly. "You've brought my Queen back to me."

"Queen?" Riju glared at him, his eyes blazing. "What are you talking about? Zelda isn't involved with you in any way!"

"That's where you are wrong, child," Zarikan didn't take his eyes off me as he spoke to Riju, his slitted pupils watching my every movement. "She is mine. Her soul is bound to mine for all eternity."

He raised his left hand, showing a silver Hyrulian crested ring that adorned his third finger.

"I married her."

I heard Paya's gasp and Link's confused intake of breath, but I couldn't speak or move; Zarikan's gold eyes kept me rooted to the spot.

"Come to me, my Queen," he commanded in a low voice. "Come to your King."

* * *

 **(A/N) Hehe. We finally meet Zarikan! Yay! *crickets* Nobody else is cheering? Darn.**

 **Cheers for vai Link? XD**

 **Thanks for reading! :3**


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